LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



ELEMENTARY 
ENGLISH 



ROBERT C. METCALF 

Supervisor of Schools, Boston, Mass. 

AND 

ORVILLE T. BRIGHT 

Superintendent of Schools, Cook County, III. 




NEW YORK •:• CINCINNATI ■:• CHICAGO 

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 



Y 






COPTRTGnT, 1S95, BY 

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY. 



MET. EL. £NG. 
\V. P. I. 



PREFACE. 



This book is designed to supply or to suggest material for a 
three years' course in elementary language work, and to form 
a fitting introduction to Metcalf's English Grammar. 

Since most of the language teaching in the schools should 
be based upon the regular work of the classroom, an effort 
has been made to show how lessons in reading, geography, 
history, and, above all, nature study, may be made to con- 
tribute to the language training of pupils. Each lesson is 
intended to be a suggestion of other similar lessons, which 
can be prepared readily by the teacher. Natural history 
affords a whole storehouse of suitable subjects, which is 
opened up by such lessons as those on " Cherry Buds," " The 
Spider," "The Frog," "The Coral," and "The Sponge." The 
possibilities of geography are shown by the lessons on " Warm 
Countries," " Cold Countries," " Our Own Country," and 
" Neighborhood Study." History furnishes abundant mate- 
rial, as shown in the historical studies preparatory to letter- 
writing and formal composition. 

By means of pictures and suggested stories, many lessons 
have been made for the purpose of training the imagination, 
and also of increasing the power of the children to express 
their thoughts in good English. Such lessons may be multi- 
plied to any extent deemed necessary by the teacher. In con- 
nection with these lessons, the best fables, fairy tab's, and 
folk-stories should be read by the children, and then the 
Stories should be retold by them in their own words. 



4 PREFACE. 

Many simple poems are given to be read and committed to 
memory, and occasionally to be studied, for the purpose of 
interesting the children in poetic forms, thus preparing the 
way for a more extended study of poetic literature in the 
higher grades of the schools. 

The mechanism of composition has not been neglected. The 
chapter on letter-writing gives all needed information concern- 
ing capital letters, punctuation, and forms ; while great care 
has been taken to indicate how pupils may be prepared for 
writing compositions by previous study, note taking, and oral 
class work. 

The last chapter in the book is devoted to grammar. In the 
development of the language lessons in the preceding pages, no 
attempt has been made to introduce this subject, except when 
essential to the use of good English. So many children leave 
school, however, before completing the grammar school course, 
that it was not deemed wise to omit the subject entirely. 
These lessons have been made simple. They include only the 
easier constructions in English, and the classifications of words 
into parts of speech. 

The selections from Holmes, Longfellow, Lowell, Whittier, 
and the Cary sisters, which appear in the various language 
exercises, are used by permission of and arrangement with 
Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin & Company. Acknowledgment is 
due also to Messrs. D. Appleton & Company for permission 
to use several selections from the copyright works of William 
Cullen Bryant. For convenience of reference, a full list of the 
publications containing the works of the authors mentioned 
above may be found on page 200. 

The "Notes" found at the close of many of the lessons 
call the attention of teachers to several other poems, which it 
is hoped they will find time to read with their pupils. 




CHAPTER I. 

LESSON I. 

SENTENCES — STATEMENTS. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

See if you can find out what the picture tells. 

1. What has the lady been doing? What interrupted 
her ? 

2. Is the child the lady's daughter ? Is she a beggar ? 
What do you think she is trying to do ? 

3. Does the lady want her matches ? What is the lady 
asking the girl? Can you tell the girl's sad story ? 

A group of words -which expresses a complete thought is a 
sentence. 

Now ask the questions above, and, as your teacher or 
classmates answer them, tell whether they use complete 

sentences or only parts of sentences. 



G SENTENCES — QUESTIONS. 

A sentence that tells something is a statement. 

Write four statements. 

With what kind of letter have you begun each sentence ? 
What mark have you placed after each statement ? 

Every statement is a sentence. 

Every written sentence should begin -with a capital. 

Every written statement should end with a period. 



LESSON II. 
SENTENCES — QUESTIONS. 

(Oral and then Written.) 




Before you ask a 
question, you must 
think. A group of 
words which is used 
in asking a question is 
a sentence, because it 
expresses a thought. 

See if you can learn 
the story which the 
picture tells by ask- 
ing questions of your 
teacher. 

1. Ask what the old 
man has been doing. 
Ask some question 
about his rake and his 
wheelbarrow. Also, 
find out, if you can, 
for what he uses the 
basket. 



HOW TO WRITE NAMES. 7 

2. Ask why the little birds are so tame. 

3. Ask about anything else you would like to know. 

4. Ask your teacher to tell or read you some story 
about a tame bird. 

Number your questions, and see how many good ones 
you can ask. How many sentences have you used in 
asking questions about the picture ? 

What kind of letter begins each question? Make a 
rule about this. 

Change your questions to statements. What two kinds 
of sentences can you name ? 

Exercise. 
Which of the following sentences are statements ? 
Which are questions ? What mark follows the state- 
ments ? What mark f ollows the questions ? 

1. Fido is a good dog. 

2. Did you see him run ? 

3. Does he trouble the kitten ? 

4. Some dogs bark at cats. 

Every written question should begin with a capital. 
Every written question should end with a question mark. 

LESSON III. 

HOW TO WRITE NAMES. 

Dictation Exercise. 
Study the following sentences so that you can write 
them correctly : — 

1. Does Anna May Brown live in Boston? 

2. James Henry Norton went to New York. 

3. Do you know George Lee Davis ? 

4. Chicago is in Illinois. 

5. Do you live in West Virginia V 



8 GIVEN NAMES AND FAMILY NAMES. 

Oral Exercise. 

Answer the following questions with oral statements: — 

How many names are there in the first sentence ? The 
first name is the name of what? The second is the name 
of what? How many words are there in each name? 

Tell the names in the second sentence. 

How many words are in the name in the third sentence ? 
How many names are there in the fourth sentence? in the 
fifth ? Of what are they names ? 

How many capitals did you use in the first sentence? 
in the second? the third? the fourth? the fifth? Why? 

How many periods did you use ? Why ? 

How many question marks ? Why ? 

Every word in the special name of a person or place should 
begin with a capital. * 

LESSON IV. 

GIVEN NAMES AND FAMILY NAMES. 

A father's name is James Johnson. The name of one 
son is Henry Johnson, and of the other, Charles Louis 
Johnson. The daughter's name is Alice Maud Johnson. 

The name which is the same for all the members of the 
family is called the family name, or surname. 

The name which is given to a boy or girl is called the 
given name. 

Exercise. 

Answer in statements the following questions : — 
What word is the same in all the names above ? What 
is the given name of each person mentioned? What is 
the family name ? What is your surname ? your given 
name? your father's given name? 

1 See note 1, page 45. 



INITIALS. 9 

How do people come by their surnames ? How do they 
come by their given names? Why are they called given 
names ? 

Carefully write the names of ten persons whom you 
know. 

LESSON V. 
INITIALS. 

Many people write only one word of their given names. 
They sometimes write one name and a letter to stand for 
the other, or one letter for each given name. A man may 
write his name Charles Henry Black, Charles H. Black, or 
C. H. Black. 

The first letter of a word is called an initial. When the 
initial stands alone, it should be followed by a period. 

Exercise I. 
Write the following names when pronounced by your 
teacher : — 

John R. Davis. Miss M. A. Tanner. 

Mary E. Ray. R. B. Stone. 

L. A. Freeman. George B. Putnam. 

Exercise 2. 

Write from your book the following names with one 
initial and then with two — 

Arthur Allen Morse. Oliver Wendell Holmes. 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 

John Quincy Adams. James Russell Lowell. 

William Cullen Bryant. Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

James Knox Polk. James Ahiam Garfield. 

Harrison Gray Otis. John Jacob Astor. 

William Ewart Gladstone, George William Curtis. 



10 MEMORY EXERCISE. 

LESSON VI. 

COMPOSITION. 

Write a statement answering each of the following 
questions : — 

1. What is your name ? 

2. How old are you ? 

3. Have you brothers and sisters ? If so, tell how many, 
and write their names. 

4. Where is your home ? 

5. What school do you attend? 

6. What is your teacher's name ? 

7. What can you do to make school pleasant? 

8. When will your next vacation come ? 

Read your sentences carefully and correct any mistakes 
you may find. How many sentences have you written ? 
Where have you used capitals? Where have you used 
periods ? You may read what you have written. 

To the Teacher. — All composition should be written under the 
immediate attention of the teacher. Guard against errors. Have 
some of the compositions read aloud to the class. 

LESSON VII. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Read the following poem with your teacher, and then 
commit it to memory : — 

To the Teacher. — All poems should be read with the teacher 
before being committed to memory. In reading or reciting this poem, 
a boy may take the part of Robert and a girl that of Robin. 



MEMORY EXERCISE. H 

Robin and Robert. 
Robert. 

O Robin, Robin bird, 

Wise as wise can be, 
Why do you sit on that swinging bongh, 

Nodding your head at me ? 
Haven't you any work to do, 

Hopping about all day ? 
Is it the whole of a Robin's life, 

To whistle and eat and play? 

Robin. 

Robert, Robert boy, 

Why shouldn't I look at you ? 
If I am only a little bird, 

I have plenty of work to do. 
Don't you whistle and eat and play, 

And play and whistle and eat? 
Don't I see you at dinner-time, 

And out in the sunny street? 

Robert. 

Yes, but Robin, Robin bird, 

I study as well as play ; 
I'm half-way through my Reader now, 

And many a lesson I say. 
But you don't have any books to read, 

And life you can enjoy. 

1 wish I were only a Robin bird, 
Instead of a Robert boy ! 

Robin. 

Ah, Robert, Robert boy, 

You don't know what you say; 
There's nobody longing to eat you up, 

Whenever you go to play ; 



12 STORY FROM PICTURE. 

There's nobody ready to hunt your nest, 
And steal you, if he could, 

Or shoot you at sight with a horrid gun, 
When you wander in the wood. 

But yonder the cat sits blinking 

Her great green eyes, you see ; 
She would break all the bones in my body, 

If she got her claws on me. 
I never can be any other 

Than only a Robin, you know, 
While you, perhaps, from a little boy, 

A tall, strong man will grow. 

And you may win fame and honor, 

Wherever your name is heard, 
But I shall never — no, never ! — 

Be anything but a bird. 
So don't be idly wishing, 

For God knew best, you see, 
When he made you a pretty Robert boy, 

Instead of a Robin like me. 



LESSON VIII. 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 

Try to tell a story from the picture on page 13. If 
you need help, you may answer the following questions 
before you tell the story. 

(Oral.) 

1. To whom does the horse belong? What was the 
man doing when the horse started to run ? 

2. Where was the boy at work? What did he do 
when he saw the horse running ? Was he hurt ? 

3. What did the man say to the bo}- ? Did he offer to 
reward him ? What reply did the boy make ? 



STORY FROM PICTURE. 



13 




LESSON IX. 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 

(Written.) 

You may now write a story about a runaway horse. 

1. Tell who the man was, how he happened to leave 
his horse standing in the road, and what frightened the 
horse so that he ran away. 

2. Tell about the little boy's working alone in the 
field, Ids jumping over the fence and catching hold of 
the horse's bridle. 

3. Tell about the talk which the man had with the 
boy, and tell also what the boy said of his happy life 
though he was poor and obliged to work hard. 

4. Finally, tell of the man's offering to pay the boy 
ami the result. 



u 



REPRODUCTION. 



LESSON X. 
REPRODUCTION. 




Read the following story carefully : - 



The Monkey, the Cat, and the Chestnuts. 

A cat and a monkey sat one day by the fire. Their master had 
laid down some chestnuts before the blaze, and they had begun to 
crack with the heat. " Ah ! " said the monkey, " how good those 
chestnuts smell ! My dear friend, cat, your paws are made just like 
our master's hands. Why do you not .try to pull a nut from the 
fire?" 

The cat was so well pleased with what the monkey said, that she 
quite forgot to be careful. She put out her paw, and rolled a hot nut 
from the ashes. In doing this, she was burned a little, but what of 
that? 

" How fine it is to have hands like a man ! " said the cunning 
monkey. " Do try to get another nut ! " 

So the foolish cat put her paw into the hot ashes again and again, 
but when she turned for her share of the chestnuts, she found that 
the monkey had eaten them all. 



IS AND ARE, WAS AND WERE 15 

Close your books and think about the story. 

Write the story in your own words upon your slates 
or paper, first writing the title as it is in the book. You 
may begin your story with the words " Once upon a 
time." 

Tell how the monkey managed to get the chestnuts. 
How did the cat feel when she thought it over after- 
wards ? What do you think the story means ? 



LESSON XI. 

IS AND ARE, WAS AND WERE. 

Dictation Exercise. 

1. The rat is in the pantry. 

2. Two rats are in the pantry. 

3. Harry is afraid of the rats. 

4. Rob is afraid of the rats. 

5. Harry and Rob are afraid of the rats. 

Write the five foregoing statements as questions. 

How many rats are spoken of in the first sentence, 
where we use is ? in the second, where we use are f How 
many boys are spoken of in the third sentence ? in the 
fourth ? in the fifth ? 

Change the sentences, using was in place of is, and were 
in place of are. 

Change the statements which you have just writ tin 
into questions, using was and were. 

Use is and was when speaking of one. 

Use are and were when speaking of more than one. 

Do not use was with you, either in statements or questions. 



You were and were you are correct. 



16 STORY FROM PICTURE. 

LESSON XII. 
IS AND ARE, WAS AND WERE (continued). 

Exercise. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Read the rules at the end of Lesson XI. before beginning 
the following exercises. 

Fill each blank with is, are, was, or were : — 

1. the men at work now? 

2. they at work yesterday ? 

3. I was at work, and so yon. 

4. Mary is here, but her sisters not. 

5. James at school yesterday? you? No, but Fanny 

and Dot . 

6. Six boys now playing ball. they playing this 

morning? 

7. I am invited to the party. you ? she ? Ned 

and Henry? 

8. I was invited to the party. you ? she ? Ned 

and Henry ? 

9. Maurice is to lose his recess. Rob? you? We 

not. 

10. Maurice was to lose his recess. Rob? you? We 

not. 

11. Where are the boys to-day? Where they yesterday ? 

12. Where you girls last Monday? We at school. 

LESSON XIII. 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 

(Oral.) 

Tell what you can see in the larger picture on page 17; 
in the smaller. 

Begin a story with, " One pleasant morning." Tell 



STORY FROM PICTURE. 



17 



about the bird, where he found the tub, and why he went 
to it. What happened afterward? What did the cat 
think, and what did she do? Was she disappointed? 
Does the cat look pleased in the second picture? 




There is a very old saying, "Look before you leap." 
What do you think of it? 

LESSON XIV. 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 

(Written.) 

Write the story about the bird and the cat. Give them 
each a name. Write, for the title of your stoiy, Look 
Before You Leap. 

To the Teacher. — For class criticism, two or three of these 
stories may be written on the board while others are being written on 
slates or paper. 



18 MEMORY EXERCISE. 

LESSON XV. 
ABOUT GAMES. 

(Oral.) 

Think about the games you know. Give the names of 
three or four of them. Which one do you like best? Tell 
just how one of them is played, so that any one not know- 
ing the game may learn it from you. 

LESSON XVI. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 
Commit to memory and recite the following poem : — 

What Robin Told. 

How do the robins build their nest? 

Robin Redbreast told me. 
First a wisp of yellow hay 
In a pretty round they lay ; 
Then some shreds of downy floss, 
Feathers too, and bits of moss, 
Woven with a sweet, sweet song, 
This way, that way, and across : 
That's what Robin told me. 

Where do the robins hide their nest? 

Robin Redbreast told me. 
Up among the leaves so deep, 
Where the sunbeams rarely creep. 
Long before the winds are cold, 
Long before the leaves are gold, 
Bright-eyed stars will peep and see 
Baby robins — one, two, three: 
That's what Robin told me. 



DAYS OF THE WEEK. 19 

In this poem, you will notice two divisions of nine lines 
each. These divisions are called stanzas. 

The number of lines in a stanza varies in different 
poems. 

What does the first stanza tell about ? the first part of 
the second? the last part of the second? 



LESSON XVII. 

DAYS OF THE WEEK. 

Carefully study the spelling of the names of the days. 
Then learn the abbreviations for the names : — 



NAMES. 


ABBREVIATIONS. 


Sunday. 


Sun. 


Monday. 


Mon. 


Tuesday. 


Tues. 


Wednesday. 


Wed. 


Thursday. 


Thurs. 


Friday. 


Fri. 


Saturday. 


Sat. 



The names of the days should always begin -with capitals. 
Always place a period after an abbreviation. 

Dictation Exercise. 

1. On Saturday and Sunday there is no school. 

2. Last Monday it rained, but we were at school. 

3. Where were you Tuesday and Wednesday? We were at school. 

4. Thursday and Friday were holidays. 

To the Teacher. — For a second dictation lesson, ^ive the same 
Sentences, but require abbreviations of the names o\ the days. 



20 STORY FROM PICTURE. 

LESSON XVIII. 
MONTHS OF THE YEAR. 

Learn these names and abbreviations : — 

January, Jan. July, 

February, Feb. August, Aug. 

March, Mar September, Sept. 

April, Apr. October, Oct. 

May, November, Nov. 

June, December, Dec. 

How to write Dates. 

" July 4, 1776 " is called a date. In writing dates, 
place a comma after the day of the month. Notice that 
the names of three of the months are not abbreviated. 

Dictation Exercise. 

1. Washington was born Feb. 22, 1732. 

2. What happened July 4, 1776 ? 

3. Columbus landed in America Oct. 14, 1492. 

4. Washington was in New York April 30, 1789. 

5. The Pilgrims landed Dec. 21, 1620. 

Write in a sentence the date of your last birthday. 

LESSON XIX. 

STORY FROM PICTURE. 

If I had to write a story about the pictures on page 21, 
I should think who the children were. I should tell 
about their old dog ; what fun they had with him ; how 
dogs and cats dislike each other ; and what happened. 



THERE ARE AND THERE WERE. 



21 



I think A Lively Ride would be a good name for the 
story. Write the story and make it the best one you 
have ever written. 




LESSON XX. 



THERE ARE AND THERE WERE. 

Remember that is and ivas should be used when speak- 
ing of one, and are and ivere when speaking of more than 

one. 

Exercise. 
(Oral and then Written.) 

Think carefully before filling the following blanks with 
is, are, was, or were. 

1. There one tree in our yard. 

2. There three trees in the school yard. 

3. Yesterday there oidy one session of school. 



22 REPRODUCTION. 

4. I thought there two. 

5. there a horse in the road ? No, but there several an 

hour ago. 

6. there many rainy days last month ? No, there only 

two. 

7. Where the birds last January? They in the South. 

8. Where they now ? They all about us. 



LESSON XXI. 

REPRODUCTION. 

A Bird's Story. 

I built me a nest in the old oak tree — 

As pretty a nest as ever could be. 

I wove it with threads to the oak-tree bough ; 

And three little birdies are sleeping there now. 

One day as I sang my " Cheer up, chee, chee," 
A spry little squirrel sprang up in the tree. 
I thought he was coming right up on the bough — 
It makes my heart tremble to think of it now. 

I flew like an eagle right down through the air ; 
And soon he was running, he did not know where. 
I pecked him and pecked him, and flew in his track ; 
I am sure he will be in no haste to come back. 




MEMORY EXERCISE. 23 

Tell in your own words about the bird's building her 
nest. What sort of bird do you think it was? What 
color were her eggs ? How many little birdies were there ? 
The little birds' mouths are open ; are they singing ? 

" One day " what happened? Do you think the squirrel 
meant to harm the little birds ? 



LESSON XXII. 

COMPOSITION. 

Write in your own words the story of The Mother Bird 
and the Squirrel. 

LESSON XXIII. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 
Read the following poem and commit it to memory : — 

A Song. 

Scatter in springtime, a handful of seeds, 
And gather in summer a lapful of flowers. 
This is the song of the birds in the bowers, 

This is the song of the wind in the reeds. 

Down by the roadside and over the meads, 
Under the sunshine and under the showers, 

Scatter in springtime a handful of seeds, 
And gather in summer a lapful of flow T ers. 

Scatter in childhood kind words and kind deeds, 
Scatter them everywhere through all the hours; 
Whether sky brightens or whether cloud lowers, 

Their blossoms shall come to thee ere summer speeds. 

Scatter in springtime a handful of seeds. 
And gather in summer a lapful of flowers. 



CHAPTER II. 

LESSON XXIV. 

ORAL LESSON FROM PICTURE. 




(Seeing.) What can you see in this picture ? 
(Thinking.) What is the time of year? Is the story 
about the country or the city ? 
Who is near the horses ? Who are on the 
load of hay? 
24 



TO, TOO, AND TWO. 25 

(Thinking.) Where are visitors from? How did they 
get to the farm ? 
Where is this load of hay going ? Of what 

use is it? 
Is it all fun in the hayfield ? 
{Telling.) Tell the story suggested by the picture. 



LESSON XXV. 
TO, TOO, AND TWO. 

These are three of the hardest words in our language 
for children to learn. Many never learn to write them 
correctly. 

To indicates motion towards. Two is a number. Too 
means also, or more than enough. 

If you think before you write, you will not be likely to 
make a mistake in using these words. The following 
sentences are correct : — 

Examples : I went to town yesterday. 

I stayed there only two hours. 

I could not stay longer, because I was too tired. 

Exercise. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Fill each of the following blanks with the right word : — 

1. weeks make a fortnight. 

2. There is much noise in the room. 

3. The book cost dollars. 

4. Mother said it cost much. 

5. T thought so, . 

fi. boys fell from the tree the ground. 

7. They were eager get down. 



26 REPRODUCTION. 

LESSON XXVI. 

THERE AND THEIR. 

Here are two more words very hard to use correctly. 
Their always denotes ownership. There often denotes 
place, never ownership. 

Examples: There are the boys. 

Is their father with them? 

Exercise. 
Use the right words in these blanks : — 

1. are nine of our boys playing ball. 

2. teacher is keeping the score. 

3. The boys are improving holiday. 

4. Look ! Tom made a home run. 

5. The squirrel is up in the tree. 

6. Ned and Rob are visiting cousin. 

LESSON XXVII. 

REPRODUCTION. 

A man named jEsop wrote fables more than two thou- 
1 sand years ago. Here is one of them, which you may read 
carefully, and then write in your own words. 

The Lion and the Fox. 

A Lion that had grown old, and had no more strength to forage 
for food, saw that he must get it by cunning. He went into his den 
and crept into a corner, and made believe that he was very sick. 

All the animals about came in to take a look at him, and, as they 
came, he snapped them up. Now, when a good many beasts had been 
caught in this way, the Fox, who guessed the trick, came along. He 



VOWEL EXERCISE. 27 

took his stand a little way from the den, and asked the Lion how 
he was. 

The Lion said he was very sick, and begged the Fox to come into 
the den and see him. 

" So I would," said the Fox, " but I notice that all the footprints 
point into the den, and there are none that point out." 



LESSON XXVIII. 

VOWEL EXERCISE. 
(Oral.) 

Our alphabet has twenty-six letters. 

Five of these letters, a, e, i, 0, and w, are called vowels. 

Notice the different sounds of a in l«me and lamb; 
of e in me and met ; of i in wine and wm ; of in wrote 
and rot ; of %i in heme and fun. 

Speak each pair of words above, and then the vowel 
sounds in them. 

1. From the following list, select the words having the 
same sound of a : 

cap, cape, lane, male, fat, man, grate, take, at, have. 

How many different sounds has a in the ten words? 

2. Select the words having the same sound of e : 
red, pet, feet, tree, mean, stem, head, steam, see, set. 

How many different sounds has e in these words? 

3. Select the words having the same sound of i: 

fine, thine, limb, climb, pine, mine, rip, ripe, win, wine. 

How many different sounds of i do you rind? 



28 VOWEL EXERCISE. 

4. Select the words having the same sound of o : 

note, not, lot, coat, comb, stop, throw, go, got, drove. 

How many different sounds of o do you find ? 

5. Select words having the same sound of u: 

tune, flute, tub, cut, tube, cube, blunt, hum, thumb, June. 

How many different sounds has u in these words? 

LESSON XXIX. 
VOWEL EXERCISE {continued). 

In the dictionary, a mark placed above or below a vowel 
shows what sound should be given to it. This aids us in 
pronouncing the word correctly. 

The two most common marks are the macron (-) to 
show the long sound, and the breve (~) to show the short 
sound. 

The vowels in the following words are correctly marked : 
ate, at; steam, stem; hide, hid; hole, hot; tune, tub. 

Give the long and the short sound of each vowel by 
itself. 

Now write the words in the five lists in Lesson XXVIII. 
and place a macron or a breve over the proper letter in 
each. 

Tell whether the vowels in the following words are 
long or short. 

Copy the words upon your slate and place over each 
vowel the proper mark. 



in 


hush 


us 


red 


old 


sing 


from 


day 


way 


upon 


chubby 


bring 


tell 


socks 


rustling 


think 


waking 


when 


have 


behind 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 29 

LESSON XXX. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Read the following poem with your teacher. Then 
commit it to memory and recite it : — 

Merry Christmas. 

In the hush of early morning, 

When the red burns through the gray, 
And the wintry world lies waiting 

For the glory of the day, 
Then we hear a fitful rustling 

Just without upon the stair, 
See two small white phantoms coming, 

Catch the gleam of sunny hair. 

Are they Christmas fairies stealing 

Rows of little socks to fill ? 
Are they angels floating hither 

With their message of good will ? 
What sweet spells are these elves weaving, 

As like larks they chirp and sing ? 
Are these palms of peace from heaven 

That these lovely spirits bring? 

Rosy feet upon the threshold, 

Eager faces peeping through, 
With the first red ray of sunshine, 

Chanting cherubs come in view: 
Mistletoe and gleaming holly, 

Symbols of a blessed day, 
In their chubby hands they carry, 

Streaming all along the way. 

Well we know them, never weary 

Of this innocent surprise, — 
Waiting, watching, listening always 

With full hearts and tender eyes, 



30 SYLLABLES. 

While our little household angels, 

White and golden in the sun, 
Greet us with the sweet old welcome, — 

"Merry Christmas, every one ! " 

— Louisa M. Alcott. 



LESSON XXXI. 

SYLLABLES. 

The word come has one syllable. 
The word he-come has two syllables. 
The word be-com-ing has three syllables. 
The word un-he-com-ing has four syllables. 
The word un-be-com-ing-ly has five syllables. 

Speak the following words slowly and distinctly, and 
tell how many syllables each has : — 



using 


many 


family 


butterfly 


write 


following 


letter 


comfort 


syllable 


distinctly 


vowel 


■written 


reader 


language 


speak 


comforting 



Copy the words, placing those of one syllable in one 
column, those of two syllables in another, and those of 
three syllables in another. Separate the syllables as you 
copy; thus, sep-a-rate. 

A word of one syllable is spoken with one impulse of 
the voice ; as, come. A word of two syllables is spoken 
with two impulses of the voice ; as, he-come. A word 
of three syllables, with three impulses ; as, be-com-ing. 

When part of a word is written on one line, and the rest on 
the next, the division must be made between syllables, and 
the former line must be closed with a hyphen. 



DICTATION". 31 

LESSON XXXII. 

SYLLABLES {continued). 

Answer in sentences : — 

How many syllables are there in the name of each day 
of the week ? How many syllables are there in the name 
of each month? How many syllables are there in each 
word of your name ? 

Sometimes y has the sound of i; as, sly, fly, my, lyre, 
tyrant. 

In slyly, the first y sounds like long i, and the second 
like short i. 

When y has the sound of i, it is a vowel. 
Can you find on this page a word which has no vowel 
in it? 

See whether in the names of the days of the week and 
the months of the year, each syllable has at least one 
vowel in it. 

A word of one syllable is a monosyllable. 

A word of two syllables is a dissyllable. 

A word of three syllables is a trisyllable. 

A word of more than three syllables is a polysyllable. 

LESSON XXXIII. 
DICTATION. 

Study carefully the spelling, capitals, and punctuation 
in this lesson : — 

Deaf and dumb people can neither speak nor hear. They have a 
sign language. Did you ever see them use this language? Do they 
talk rapidly with it ? Can you talk with your fingers? 

Many deaf mutes have been taught to speak. Then they are no 
longer mutes. Have you ever heard them talk? 



32 



STORY FROM PICTURE. 



Answer the following questions in complete sentences : — 

Which words in the dictation exercise are dissyllables ? 
Which are trisyllables? How many are monosyllables? 
Is there a polysyllable ? 

In rapidly, why is y a vowel ? In this lesson what other 
words can you find that contain the letter y used as a 
vowel? Tell in each case whether it represents long i or 
short i. Give a reason for each punctuation mark. Why 
are the capitals used? What are mutes? What are deaf 
mutes ? 



LESSON XXXIV. 

STORY FROM PICTURE. 

(Oral and then Written.) 




This picture shows that a mouse once had a rather 
lively time. Suppose he were to tell the story himself, 
what do you think he might say? You may write the 
story. 



ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 33 

LESSON XXXV. 

ANIMALS. 

Answer the following questions in oral sentences : — 

1. Are birds, fishes, and insects animals ? 

2. Which do you think are the five most useful animals ? 

3. Tell why each is useful. 

4. What is the largest animal that you have seen ? 

5. Of what use, if any, is he to man ? 

6. Tell something that you have heard or read about 
this animal. 

7. What sort of food does the elephant eat ? 

8. How does he get it into his mouth? 

9. Tell why some animals have claws. 
10. What are "beasts of prey "? 



LESSON XXXVI. 

PLANTS. 

In answering the following questions, make complete 
statements : — 

1. Name five important food plants. 

2. Which plant do you think feeds the most people ? 

3. Name three plants that are useful for clothing. 

4. What is the largest plant that you have seen ? 

5. Give some of its uses. 

6. Name some large plants that grow from small seeds. 

7. Name some plants that are cultivated only because 
they are beautiful. 

8. Do you think such plants are useful? Why? 

3 



34 MEMORY EXERCISE. 

LESSON XXXVII. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Commit to memory and recite the following poem : — 

Waiting to Grow. 

Little white snowdrops, just waking up, 
Violet, daisy, and sweet buttercup ! 
Think of the flowers that are under the snow, 
Waiting to grow ! 

And think what hosts of queer little seeds, 
Of flowers and mosses, of ferns and of weeds, 
Are under the leaves and under the snow, 
Waiting to grow! 

Think of the roots getting ready to sprout, 

Reaching their slender, brown fingers about 

Under the ice and the leaves and the snow, 

Waiting to grow ! 

Only a month, or a few weeks more, 
Will they have to wait behind that door, 
Listen and watch and wait below, 
Waiting to grow ! 

Nothing so small, and hidden so well, 
That God will not find it and presently tell 
His sun where to shine and his rain where to go, 
Helping them grow ! 

1. How many of the flowers mentioned in this poem 
have you seen ? 

2. Tell the color of each one. 

3. What makes them grow, and why will they not 
grow in the winter? 

4. Write the poem from memory. 



INFORMATION LESSON, 



35 



LESSON XXXVIII. 

INFORMATION LESSON. 

Cherry Buds. 

With a sprig containing a cherry bud partly open in 
your hand, read the following description, and see if you 
can find all the parts that are mentioned. 

Make a note of everything you can see which is not 
mentioned in the description. 




If you look at the sprigs of a cherry tree in April or May. you will 
find on them many round buds of a brownish color. Soon the brown 
scales of the buds are pushed apart, and out come the beautiful white 
flowers and the green leaves, which have all been packed inside the 
buds. 

Away down in the center of the flower is a little shining green bud, 
which is a baby cherry. When all the other parts of the flower have 



36 INFORMATION LESSON. 

withered and dropped off, this little cherry grows very fast, until it 
is ripe and ready to be eaten. 

After the tree has ripened its cherries, it has other work to do 
through the summer. It must get ready some new buds to make 
blossoms and cherries for another year. These buds are quite small 
and may be found just where the stems of the leaves join the twigs. 
They are wrapped so carefully in brown scales that the cold winter 
does them no harm; and, though they show no signs of life for 
several months, they are ready to wake in the warm spring sun and 
unpack their flowers and leaves. — H. L. Clapp. 

Place the sprigs of cherry in water for a day or two. 



LESSON XXXIX. 

INFORMATION LESSON (continued). 

Topics for Conversation. 

Why should this lesson be studied in the spring ? What 
fruit trees have you seen in blossom earlier than the cherry? 
What are the size and shape of the cherry bud ? What is 
the color of the blossom? Why could you not see the 
flowers and green leaves when you examined the bud? 
Where was the little cherry ? Why does it grow so rapidly 
after the flower withers? When will it be ripe and ready 
for eating ? 

What work is done by the cherry tree after its fruit is 
ripened? Where may the cherry buds for the following 
year be found? How are they preserved during the cold 
winter? 

Notice carefully all the parts of the cherry bud, and 
describe them in the best sentences you can make. 

To the Teacher. — While describing the cherry buds, each pupil 
should have a sprig of cherry in his hand. 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 37 

LESSON XL. 

COMPOSITION. 

Write what you have learned about cherry buds, making 
such use as you please of the topics in the preceding 
lesson. 

Tell some of the uses made of the fruit of the cherry 
tree. 

LESSON XLI. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Read the following poem with your teacher and then 
commit it to memory : — 

The Tree. 

The Tree's early leaf-buds were bursting their brown ; 

" Shall I take them away ? " said the Frost, sweeping down. 

" No, leave them alone 

Till the blossoms have grown," 
Prayed the Tree, while he trembled from rootlet to crown. 

The Tree bore his blossoms, and all the birds sung. 

" Shall I take them away? " said the Wind as he swung. 

" No, leave them alone 

Till the berries have grown," 
Said the Tree, while his leaflets quivering hung. 

The Tree bore his fruit in the midsummer glow. 
Said the girl, " May I gather thy ripe berries now ? " 

" Yes, all thou canst see. 

Take them ; all are for thee," 
Said the Tree, while he bent down his laden boughs low. 

— Bjokxst.ji;kxk Bjornson. 



38 



OUR FLAG. 



Read carefully, and answer the following questions in 

sentences : — 

1. What were the "leaf-buds"? What is meant by 
"bursting their brown"? What did the Frost say? 
What did he mean? What did the Tree answer? Did 
the Frost take the leaf-buds away? How do you know? 

2. Why did all the birds sing ? What did the Wind ask ? 
What did he mean? What did the Tree answer? Did 
the Wind do as the Tree wished? How do you know? 

3. What is " midsummer " ? When is it ? What is meant 
by " glow " ? What did the girl ask ? What did the Tree 
answer? What is meant by "laden boughs"? What 
kind of tree may it have been? Give a reason for your 
answer. 

LESSON XLII. 

OUR FLAG. 



(Oral.) 




Tell what you can of 
each topic mentioned 
below. 

The shape of the flag. 
The colors in it. Its 
different parts. What 
is the field? Its 
color. The number and 
color of the stripes. 
The number and color 
of the stars. 

Does the number of 
stripes ever change ? 
Why ? Does the num- 



STORY FROM PICTURE. 



39 



ber of stars ever change? Why? How many stars 
were on the flag at first? Find out other facts con- 
nected with the history of our flag. Do you think there 
will be still more stars ? 

Has the flag any use? Where is it used? What names 
are given to it ? Has your schoolhouse a flag ? If so, on 
what days should it be raised? How can you honor " Our 
Flag"? 

To the Teacher. — A flag should hang before the class during 
the lesson. 

LESSON XLIII. 

STORY FROM PICTURE. 




Write a story from the picture above, using the follow- 
ing hints : — 

The little boy and girl that you see in the picture are 
brother and sister. Where do they live? Do you think 



40 PRONUNCIATION AND CLASSIFICATION. 

they are playing truant, or is it a holiday? Which is 
older, the boy or the girl, and what are their names ? 

They have been out playing and have found a strange 
dog. I wonder what has happened to him ! They found 
him lying by the side of the road and crying piteously. 
He looked up at them as though he would like to tell 
them what had happened. The children could hear the 
noise of a carriage that had just been driven by. Has the 
dog been run over, or has he been bitten by another dog? 
What are the children trying to do ? Why do they pity 
the poor dog? 

When they have bound up the poor dog's foot, do you 
suppose they will take him to their own home ? What a 
nice playfellow he will make if he gets well ! 

LESSON XLIV. 

PRONUNCIATION AND CLASSIFICATION. 

Pronounce very distinctly the following words according 
to the marking : — 



whole 


sleek 


bite 


b fitter 


nobody 


bade 


petal 


hSrrid 


drain 


patriot 


forge 


sitting 


minnows 


victory 


tube 


happiness 



Write in separate columns the monosyllables, the dis- 
syllables, and the trisyllables. 

Use each word in an oral sentence, speaking very dis- 
tinctly. 

Mark the vowels in the following words : — 



red 


met 


ripen 


music 


pin 


rain 


carry 


brave 


both 


bank 


borrow 


kingly 


meet 


time 


evening 


children 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 41 

LESSON XLV. 
MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Commit to memory and recite the following poem : — 
Grandpapa. 

Grandpapa's hair is very white, 

And grandpapa walks but slow ; 
He likes to sit still in his easy-chair, 

While the children come and go. 
" Hush ! play quietly," says mamma ; 

" Let nobody trouble dear grandpapa." 

Grandpapa's hand is thin and weak ; 

It has worked hard all his days, — 
A strong right hand and an honest hand, 

That has won all good men's praise. 
''Kiss it tenderly," says mamma; 

" Let every one honor grandpapa." 

Grandpapa's eyes are growing dim ; 

They have looked on sorrow and death ; 
But the love-light never went out of them, 

Nor the courage and the faith. 
"Y r ou, children, all of you," says mamma, 

" Have need to look up to dear grandpapa." 

Grandpapa's years are wearing few, 

But he leaves a blessing behind. 
A good life lived, and a good fight fought, 

True heart and equal mind. 
" Remember, my children," says mamma, 

" You bear the name of your grandpapa." 

— Mrs. Craik. 

Tell in your own words all you can about the grandpapa 
of the poem. Tell something about any grandpapa that 
you know or have known. 



42 COMPOSITION WRITING. 

LESSON XL VI. 

COMPOSITION WRITING. 

While learning to write compositions, here are six good 
rules to have always in mind : — 

1. Be sure that each thought is complete before begin- 
ning to write it in a sentence. 

2. Be sure to begin each sentence with a capital. 

3. Be sure to punctuate every sentence. 

4. Write as well as you can. 

5. If you have any doubt whatever about the spelling 
of a word, find it in the dictionary, or ask to have it written 
on the blackboard. 

6. Do not try to write too much. 

Composition. • 

Write about a snowstorm that you remember, using any 
of these notes you choose : — 

When it was ; where you were ; what you were doing ; 
whether the wind blew and whistled ; whether much snow 
fell, and great drifts formed ; what made them ; what sport 
the snow furnished you, and what work. 

Does the snow do any good ? If so, what? 

In writing the foregoing story about a snowstorm, have 
you kept in mind the six rules given above ? What rule 
do you think you have broken ? 

To the Teacher. — Read to the pupils the whole or a part of 
Whittier's "Snow Bound." Let them describe the work and the play 
which the poet tells about, and then describe their own work or play 
as required in the notes. 



STORY FROM PICTURE. 



43 



LESSON XL VII. 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 

(Oral and then Written.) 




Tell what you can see in the pictures, and what you 
think it all means. 

Write the story, giving names to the children and to the 
doll. 

Remember the rules in Lesson XL VI. 

Tell where these children live, and to whom the 
" doctor's " clothes belong. What has he in his hand, and 
what is he trying to do with it ? 

What will be a good name for this story? 



44 REPRODUCTION. 

LESSON XL VIII. 

COVERINGS OF ANIMALS. 

(Oral.) 

The covering of an animal is a part of the animal, just 
as the bark is a part of the tree. Let us think about the 
different coverings of different animals, of their uses to 
the animals, and of their uses to man. 

1. What covering has an oyster? Describe it. What 
is its use ? 

2. What covering has a dog? a cat? How do they 
differ? What are the uses of these coverings? 

3. What covering has a snail ? What is its use ? 

4. What covering has a fish ? Describe the parts ; tell 
how they are put on, and why they are so put on. 

5. What covering has a sheep? What uses are made 
of this covering? 

6. What articles of clothing are made from the cover- 
ings of animals? 

LESSON XLIX. 

REPRODUCTION. 

Here is another fable from JEsop. Read it carefully and 
then write it in your own words. 

The Four Bulls and the Lion. 

Four bulls once agreed to live together, and they fed in the same 
pasture. Now the lion saw them afar off, and wanted to hunt them, 
but he knew that he could not, so long as they held together. 

So he managed to set them quarreling with each other; and when 
that happened, they separated, and he easily mastered them, one at a 
time. 



CHAPTER III. 

LESSON L. 

PKOPER NAMES. 

The special name given to any person, place, or thing 
is called a proper name; as, John Adams, Chicago, North 
America. 

Every word in a proper name must begin with a capital letter. 1 

Dictation Exercise. 

Study the following sentences so that you can write 
each correctly from one reading. Draw a line under the 
proper name or names in each sentence that you have 
written. 

1. James A. Garfield was a poor boy. 

2. He lived in Ohio. 

3. Young Garfield drove horses on a tow path. 

4. He became President of the United States. 

5. Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky. 

6. He moved to Illinois. 

7. Lincoln lived in a log cabin when a boy. 

8. He is sometimes called the " Martyr President." 

9. Bunker Hill monument is on Breed's Hill. 

10. The battle was fought on Breed's Hill. 

11. St. I^ouis is on the Mississippi River. 

12. The city of New Orleans is near the Gulf of Mexico. 

1 In names like The United States of America and Si, ami de Montford, 
however, the words of and de do not begin with capitals. 
45 



46 NAMES AND DATES. 

LESSON LI. 

PROPER NAMES (continued). 

Write five sentences, each containing the name of a boy 
whom you know, and the name of the place where he 
lives. 

Write the names of five girls whom you know. 

Write five questions, using the names of persons in this 
room. 

What proper nouns have you used in each sentence ? 

What mark have you used after each sentence ? Why ? 

Give two rules for the capitals you have used. 

LESSON LII. 

NAMES AND DATES. 
(Oral and then Written.) 

Be sure of the capitals and of the spelling of the words 
that you use in writing the answers to the following 
questions : — 

Answer in complete sentences, and use no abbreviations 

1. When is your birthday ? 

2. On what date is Christmas ? 

3. Which is the shortest month ? 

4. Which months have thirty-one days? 

5. Which months have thirty days ? 

6. Which is the middle day of the week? 

7. On which days is there no school? 

8. On which day of the week are your lessons poorest ? 

9. When is Washington's birthday? 

10. On what date are you answering this question? 



STORY FROM PICTURE. 



47 



LESSON LIII. 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 

(Oral and then Written.) 




Tell a story from this picture. The girl, the boy, and 
the dog are the same that you saw on page 39. 

Suggestions. 

What have the children been doing? Did the sticks 
float down the stream ? What did Carlo do ? 

What was the little girl trying to do when she fell off 
the bridge ? Why did Carlo plunge into the water, after 
the little girl? What might have happened? 

Was the little girl sick for a long time? I wonder 
whether Carlo used to go into the sick-room to see her! 
Do you suppose that papa and mamma were sorry that the 
children had taken pity on the poor, lame dog? 



48 VOWEL SOUNDS. 

LESSON LIV. 
VOWEL SOUNDS. 

Some of the vowels have other sounds besides the long 
and the short sounds. 

The letter a has a different sound in each of these 
words : — 



You know the names of the first two sounds of a. The 
third is called broad a, and the fourth Italian a. The fifth 
sound is the hardest of all to learn. It is just midway 
between shoi-t a and Italian a. It occurs in such words as 

ask grass branch dance glass task 

Tell which of the following words have broad a and 
which have Italian a : — 



far 


fall 


are 


palm 


talk 


all 


star 


squall 


mark 


hard 



Mark the a in each word. 

Write five other words containing broad a, and five 
containing Italian a. 

LESSON LV. 
VOWEL SOUNDS (continued). 

The sounds of o in move, oo in moon, and u in rude, are 
all exactly alike. The sound is called long oo, and the 
vowels are marked as you see them. 

The sounds of o in wolf, oo in foot, and n in bull, are all 
alike. The sound is called short oo. 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 49 

Pronounce the following words with the long oo sound, 
and tell how the vowels should be marked : — 



soon 


true 


prove 


do 


fruit 


canoe 


rule 


brute 



Pronounce the following words with the short oo sound, 
and tell how the vowels should be marked : — 

push good foot pull woman 



LESSON LVI. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 
Commit to memory and recite the following poem : — 

Dandelion. 

There's a dandy little fellow 

Who dresses all in yellow, — 
In yellow, with an overcoat of green ; 

With his hair all crisp and curly, 

In the springtime bright and early, — 
Tripping o'er the meadow he is seen. 

Through all the bright June weather, 

Like a jolly little tramp 
He wanders o'er the hillside, down the road ; 

Around his yellow feather 

The gypsy fireflies camp ; 
His companions are the wood lark and the toad. 

Spick and spandy, little dandy, 
Golden dancer in the dell ! 

Green and yellow, happy fellow, 
All the little children love him well! 

But at last this little fellow 
Doffs his dandy coat of yellow, 
And very feebly totters o'er the green; — 
For he very old is growing, 
4 



50 INFORMATION LESSON. 

And, with hair all white and flowing, 
A-nodding in the sunlight he is seen. 

The little winds of morning 

Come a-flying through the grass, 
And clap their hands around him in their glee ; 

They shake him without warning ; 

His wig falls off, alas ! 
And a little baldhead dandy now is he. 

Oh, poor dandy, once so spandy, 

Golden dancer on the lea ! 

Older growing, white hair flowing, 
Poor little baldhead dandy now is he ! 

To the Teacher. — Conversation suggested by this little poem 
should make an excellent language lesson. 



LESSON LVII. 

INFORMATION LESSON. 
(Oral and then Written.) 

Read carefully this account of the fly. Notice flies as 
you see them about the house, and read anything else 
about them that you can find. 

A Talk about Flies. 

The body of a fly has three parts, one of which is the head. On 
its head are two large eyes. But what will you think when I tell you 
that each of these large eyes is made up of about four thousand 
small eyes ? 

Each of the small eyes has six sides. 
Of course these tiny eyes are placed very 
close to each other, for the four thousand 
together are not so large as 
a pin-head. Is it any won- 
der that the fly is so hard 

to catch? It can see every „ ^ 

J Small Eyes of 
Eyes of a Fly. way at the same time. a Fly. 







INFORMATION LESSON. 



51 



The fly's feet are also very curious. They are made so that it 
can walk on the "wall of a room as well as on the floor ; and it can even 
run up and down the glass in our windows. 

The fly has no teeth. Its mouth is a kind of trunk, through 
which it sucks its food. It cannot eat anything 
that is hard. Still, you know that flies are very 
fond of sugar, and you want to know how 
they can eat that. They have something to drop 
upon the sugar, which softens it into a sirup ; 
then they draw this sirup up through their trunks. 

Flies do not breathe through their noses: I 
do not know that they have noses. They breathe 
through little holes in their sides. 

I have only one thing more to tell you about 
this curious little creature. It always keeps itself 
very clean. Have you ever seen a fly rub its front 
legs over its head? I suppose you have often 
wondered why it does this. 

The under side of the fly's feet and its legs 
have tiny hairs on them, These are its hair- 
brushes, which it always carries ready for use. If 
any dirt gets on its head or face, it brushes it off. 
feet and legs together so that no dirt shall stick to them. 

Do you not think that there are many boys and girls who may 
learn something even from a fly ? What may the fly teach us ? 

Harper's Second Reader. 




Leg of a Fly. 



Then it rubs its 



Topics for Conversation. 



The fly is an insect. Why? Its body. Its eyes. Its 
feet. Has it any teeth? Its mouth, and how it eats. 
How it eats sugar. How it breathes. Its cleanliness. 
What have }^ou noticed about the fly ? What else have 
you read about it ? 

What other kinds of flies, besides house-flies, have you 
seen ? Tell how the fly differs from the mosquito. Which 
gives us the most trouble, and why? 



52 ACCENTED SYLLABLES. 

LESSON LVIII. 

SILENT LETTERS. 

In the word high, only the first two letters are sounded 
when the word is spoken. The last two are silent letters. 
In band all of the letters are sounded. In mine the e is 
silent. In through there are seven letters and only three 
sounds. In leave there are five letters and only three 
sounds. 

Exercise. 

Tell which of the following words have all of the letters 
sounded and which words have silent letters : — 



bam 


tail 


are 


write 


lane 


trim 


two 


last 


lean 


glum 


have 


lamp 


pink 


thumb 


night 


could 



How many letters are there in each word ? How many 
sounds? 

Name other words that have silent letters, and tell which 
letters are silent. 

LESSON LIX. 

ACCENTED SYLLABLES. 

Words of more than one syllable have what is called an 
accented syllable ; that is, a syllable which is pronounced 
with a stronger impulse of the voice than the others in the 
same word. Thus in the words yesterday, playing, garden, 
the first syllables are accented. In the dictionaries such 
syllables are marked as follows : — 

yeV ter day play' ing gar' den 



PRONUNCIATION". 53 

Separate the following words into syllables, and mark 
the accented syllable in each : — 

delay belong differ syllable 

honest believe must incomplete 

letters follow butterfly behave 

Write the words of two syllables in a column ; the words 
of three syllables. 

Mark the vowel in each accented syllable. 

Why is y a vowel in the word syllable f 

Select words of two syllables from your reading lesson, 
and. tell which syllable is accented in each. 

LESSON LX. 

PRONUNCIATION. 

Pronounce distinctly the following words as they are 
marked : — 

class sau' cy roof less win' dow 

hearth kef tie re cess' stamp' ing 

root chance chil' dren ba na' na 

Tell which words are monosyllables, which dissyllables, 
and which trisyllables. 

Name the vowel sounds which are marked. 

Name those marked in Lesson XLIV. 

Use each word in an oral sentence. 

Write the words when pronounced, and mark from 
memory the vowel in each monosyllable and in each ac- 
cented syllable of the remaining words. 

Mark some vowels in words taken from your oral sen- 
tences. 

To the Teacher. — The word a, when emphatic, has the sound 
of long a; when not emphatic, of d. 

The should rarely be spoken with the full sound of long e. Indeed, 
when before a consonant, the vowel is nearly short u. 



54 



REPRODUCTION". 



LESSON LXI. 
REPRODUCTION. 



Re ad the fol- 
lowing story 
carefully; then 
close the book, 
think the story 
over, and write 
it as well as 




will you select 
for the story ? 



A Newfound- 
land dog and a 
mastiff had a quar- 
rel. The dogs 
were righting on a 
bridge, and suddenly, in their rage, over they went into the water. 

The banks were so high that they were forced to swim a long dis- 
tance before they came to a landing-place. This was easy for the 
Newfoundland dog. He was as much at home in the water as a seal. 
But not so with poor Bruce. 

Old Bravo, the Newfoundland, had reached the bank, and turned 
to look at his enemy. He saw that the other dog, whose strength 
was fast failing, was likely to drown. So he plunged in, seized the 
mastiff gently by the collar, and towed the poor fellow safely into 
port. 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 55 

LESSON LXII. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Commit to memory and recite the following poem : — 

Have you heard the waters singing, 

Little May, 
Where the willows green are leaning 

O'er their way ? 
Do you know how low and sweet, 
O'er the pebbles at their feet, 
Are the words the waves repeat, 

Night and day? 

Have you heard the robins singing, 

Little one, 
Where the rosy day is breaking — 

When 'tis done ? 
Have you heard the wooing breeze, 
In the blossomed orchard trees, 
And the drowsy hum of bees 

In the sun ? 

All the earth is full of music, 

Little May ; 
Bird and bee, and water singing 

On its way. 
Let their silver voices fall 
On thy heart with happy call : 
" Praise the Lord, who loveth all, 

Night and day." 

1. Tell what is meant by "the waters singing." 

2. In the fourth line, whose way is " their way " ? 

3. In the sixth line, whose " feet " are referred to ? 

4. Tell about the kinds of music with which the earth 
is filled. 



56 PRONUNCIATION. 

LESSON LXIII. 

SEEDS AND PLANTS. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

1. In which season of the year does the farmer plant 
seed? 

2. Mention a few of the kinds of seed that he plants. 

3. How must the ground be prepared before planting ? 

4. Of what use is the root of the plant? 

5. Why does a very large tree have very large roots ? 

6. Mention a small plant that has a large root. 

7. Name some roots that are good to eat. 

8. Of what use are the leaves of a plant? 

9. Are the leaves ever used for food ? 

Composition. 

Write all that the foregoing questions suggest to you 
about seeds and plants. 

LESSON LXIV. 

PRONUNCIATION. 
(Oral and Written.) 

Pronounce the following words as they are marked : — 

rule vi' o let catch 

sln'gular him' dred off 

be cause' glance pa pa' 

bon' net fac' to ry mam mil' 

Use each word in a complete oral sentence which shall 
show that you know the meaning of the word. 
Tell how many syllables each word has, and why. 



STORY FROM PICTURE. 



57 



Write the following words, separating the syllables, and 
marking the vowel of each accented syllable. 



Boston 


piano 


inquiry 


Baltimore 


florist 


interesting 


Chicago 


address 


estimate 



LESSON LXV. 

STORY FROM PICTURE. 

(Oral and then Written.) 








Tell what you see in the picture : how the boys look ; 
what time of year it is, and how you know ; where you 
think the boys are going ; what seems to be going on ; and 
what }^ou think of it. 

Write a story, giving names to the boys. Tell about 
the poor boy and his home. 



58 STUDY OF POEM. 

LESSON LXVI. 
DICTATION EXERCISE. 

Study spelling, capitals, and punctuation : — 

Everything in the world is animal, vegetable, or mineral. Things 
that we get from animals are called animal productions. Things 
that we get from plants are vegetable productions. Everything 
else is mineral. So there are three classes of objects. "When we 
say a thing is animal, vegetable, or mineral, we classify it. 

Oral Exercise. 
Classify the objects named below : — 



moss 


salt 


cotton 


leather 


hair 


coral 


pepper 


stone 


bread 


milk 


pearl 


eggs 


coffee 


ivory 


water 



LESSON LXVII. 

WORDS AND THEIR OPPOSITES. 

Name a word having a meaning opposite to each of the 
following and use it in a sentence : — 

rough right good tall long 

sweet east wide fat swift 

brittle north deep thick clean 

LESSON LXVIII. 

STUDY OF POEM. 

The Wind and the Leaves. 

"Come, little leaves," said the wind one day, 
"Come o'er the meadows with me, and play. 
Put on your dresses of red and gold ; — 
Summer is gone, and the days grow cold." 



STUDY OF POEM. 59 

Soon as the leaves heard the wind's low call, 
Down they came fluttering, one and all ; 
Over the brown fields they danced and flew, 
Singing the soft little songs they knew. 

" Cricket, good-by, we've been friends so long I 
Pretty brook, sing us your farewell song ; — 
Say you are sorry to see us go. 
Oh ! you will miss us, right well we know. 

" Dear little lambs, in your fleecy fold, 
Mother will keep you from harm and cold ; 
Fondly we've watched you in vale and glade : 
Say, will you dream of our loving shade?" 

Dancing and whirling, the little leaves went : 
Winter had called them, and they were content. 
Soon fast asleep in their earthly beds, 
The snow laid a coverlet over their heads. 

Answer in complete oral sentences : — 

1. How many stanzas are there in this poem? 

2. In the first stanza of The Wind and the Leaves, who 
is speaking ? In the third stanza ? 

3. What was the time of year ? How do you know ? 

4. What were the " dresses of red and gold " ? At 
whose bidding did they put them on? What dresses did 
they lay off? 

5. How did the leaves " sing little songs " ? 

6. Why were the cricket and the leaves " friends " ? 
the leaves and the brook ? the leaves and the lambs ? 

7. How does a brook " sing " ? Did } r ou ever hear one ? 

8. What is a " fleecy fold " ? Do lambs " dream " ? 

9. How had winter "called" the leaves? In what 
sort of bed did they sleep? Did they ever wake up? 

10. Commit the poem to memory. 



60 COMPOSITION. 

LESSON LXIX. 
COMPOSITION. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Divide your composition into two parts : Leaves in 
Spring and Summer and Leaves in Autumn and Winter. 
Follow the order of the questions below. 

When do the leaves come out? What is their color? 
How does it change as summer comes on ? Of what use 
are the leaves to the tree? Of what other uses are 
they? 

When do the leaves put on bright colors ? What causes 
them to do so? How long do their dresses of red and 
gold last? What happens then? Are the leaves of any 
further use ? 

Rules Convenient for Reference. 

1. The first word pi every sentence should begin with a capital 
letter. 

2. A period should be placed at the end of a complete state- 
ment. 

3. An interrogation point should be placed at the end of a sen- 
tence which asks a question. 

4. Every word in proper names should begin with a capital. 

5. The names of the days of the week and of the months of the 
year should begin with capitals. 

6. The first word in every line of poetry should begin with a 
capital. 

7. All names applied to God should begin with capitals. 



CHAPTER IV. 

LESSON LXX. 

COMMON NAMES, OR COMMON NOUNS. 
Singular and Plural. 

In Lesson L., page 45, we spoke of proper, or special, 
names. There is another kind of name. The word dog 
may be applied to any dog in the world ; that is, the name 
dog is common to all dogs. Therefore we say that it is a 
common name. For the same reason, the words book, slate, 
and bog are common names. 

A common name must not begin with a capital unless it 
stands at the beginning of a sentence. 

Select the common names from the following list, and 
tell why they are common : — 

floor Mary window pencil Ralph 

stove apple Columbus Webster orange 

Names that mean bnt one are said to be singular. 

Names that mean more than one are said to be plural. 
Boor and pen are singular ; but doors and pens are plural. 

Tell whether the following nouns are singular or plural, 
and why ; — 



man 


horses 


child 


doors 


robins 


girl 


boys 


kite 


knives 


apple 


children 


woman 


foxes 
01 


oxeu 


mice 



STORY FROM PICTURE. 

LESSON LXXI. 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 




(Oral.) 

Tell what you see in the picture. Who do you think 
the man is ? Where are the kittens ? Where were they ? 
How did they get into trouble? Who first found them? 
Who told the man ? How did he tell him? Are the dog 
and the cat good friends ? Why do you think so ? What 
did the man do? Was he kind-hearted? Did anybody 
thank him ? Do you think the kittens learned a lesson ? 

(Written.) 

Write a story from the picture, making it as interesting 
as you can. 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 

LESSON LXXII 
SPELLING EXERCISE ON PLURALS. 
Learn to spell the following nonns : — 



chimneys 


pianos 


babies 


journeys 


knives 


potatoes 


wives 


candies 


ponies 


valleys 


foxes 


ladies 


children 


oxen 


women 


glasses 



Use the singular of each nonn in an oral sentence. 
Change each sentence so that the name shall be plural, 
and note the other changes which you are obliged to make. 



LESSON LXXIII. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 
Read and commit to memory the following poem : — 

The Brown Thrush. 

There's a merry brown thrush sitting up in the tree. 
He's singing to me ! He's singing to me ! 
And what does he say, little girl, little boy? 
"Oh, the world's running over with joy ! 

Don't you hear? Don't you see? 

Hush ! Look ! In my tree, 
I'm as happy as happy can be ! " 

And the brown thrush keeps singing, " A nest do you see, 
And five eggs hid by me in the juniper tree? 
Don't meddle ! don't touch, little girl, little boy, 
Or the world will lose some of its joy ! 

Now I'm glad ! now I'm free ! 

And I always shall be, 
If you never bring sorrow to me;' 



64 INFORMATION EXERCISE. 

So the merry brown thrush sings a\Vay in the tree, 
To you and to me, to you and to me ; 
And he sings all the day, little girl, little boy, 
" Oh, the world's running over with joy ; 

But long it won't be, 

Don't you know ? don't you see V 
Unless we're as good as can be." 

— Lucy Larcom. 

LESSON LXXIV. 

PRONUNCIATION. 

Pronounce the following words according to the mark- 
ing : — 

ac cent' ed bal loon' bal' us ter 

a gainst' (genst) bon quet' (ka) bal' us trade 

al' ways eel' lar cu' po la 

a' pri cot cor' al gri mace' 

Tell how many syllables there are in each word, which 
syllable is accented, and name the vowel sound in each 
accented syllable. 

Use each word in a sentence which shall clearly show 
that you know its correct meaning. 

Most people mispronounce some of the words in the 
foregoing columns and very few can use them all correctly. 
Study this lesson very carefully. 

LESSON LXXV. 
INFORMATION EXERCISE. 



(Oral.) 

1. Have you ever seen a brickyard? 

2. Of what are bricks made ? 

3. How are they made ? 



THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE. 65 

4. What is a brickkiln ? 

5. What can you say about the color of bricks ? 

6. What are some of their uses ? 

7. What is the man called who builds houses of bricks ? 

8. What is the shape of a brick, and how large are 
bricks usually made ? Measure one. 

9. Which do you think are better for the building of 
houses, bricks or stones ? Why ? 

Possibly some obliging boy may bring to school a brick 
that has been burned, and one that has not ; also a piece 
of clay from which bricks are made. 



LESSON LXXVI. 

COMPOSITION. 

Write what you have learned about bricks, making use 
of the questions in Lesson LXXV. 

LESSON LXXVII. 

THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE. 

The words this and these refer to what is near ; that and 
those to what is distant. 

Examples : This book belongs to me ; that on your desk belongs 
to the teacher. 
These apples are sweet ; those yonder are very sour. 

This and that refer to one thing ; these and those to more 
than one. 

Examples : This is a good pen ; those are very poor. 

That was a good story you told yesterday, but these in 
this book are too simple. 



QQ MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Exercise. 
(Oral and then Written.) 

Fill each blank below with one of these words — this, 
these, them, that, those : — 

1. "What is in your hand? 

2. is a knife. 

3. Have yon sharpened pencils on your desk? 

4. Yes, I have sharpened , and on the teacher's desk. 

5. Do you think knife is better than one ? 

6. Certainly, and pencils are better than on your desk. 

7. Why are better than on my desk? 

8. on your desk are not sharpened at all, while are all 

ready for use. 

9. will soon be as well sharpened as . 

10. knife and pencils will keep you busy for some time. 



LESSON LXXVIII. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 
Read and commit to memory the following poem : 
Guess. 

I see two lilies, white as snow, 
That mother loves and kisses so ; 
Dearer are they than gold or lands : 
Guess me the lilies — Baby's hands! 

I know a rosebud fairer far 
Than any buds of summer are ; 
Sweeter than sweet winds of the south : 
Guess me the rosebud — Baby's mouth ! 

I know a place where shines the sun — 
Yes, long, long after day is done ; 



REPRODUCTION. 67 

Oh, how it loves to linger there ! 
Guess me the sunshine — Baby's hair! 

There are two windows where I see 
My own glad face peep out at me ; 
These windows beam like June's own skies : 
Guess me the riddle — Baby's eyes ! 

LESSON LXXIX. 

POETRY. 

Pieces like that in Lesson LXXVIIL are called poetry. 
Each piece is a poem. 

Each line of poetry is one verse. How many verses has 
each stanza? How many verses has the whole poem? 
Read one verse in the first stanza. One in the third. 
Read the last verse in the poem. 

Verses are said to rhyme when they end with similar 
sounds. Tell which verses rhyme in each stanza. Why ? 

Turn to The Wind and the Leaves (page 58). Tell 
the number of stanzas, the number of verses in each, and 
the verses that rhyme. 

LESSON LXXX. 

REPRODUCTION. 

Read the following story carefully, once or twice. Do 
not try to remember the sentences, but try to understand 
them. Then close your book, and think how you would 
tell the story in your own words without using the word /. 

If you have an opportunity, tell the story to the class 
before you write it. 

When you write the story, add one paragraph of your 
own, telling what you think of the bird's art. 



68 SOUNDS OF CONSONANTS. 



True Story of a Fishhawk. 

When I was a little girl I lived in Virginia, near the Potomac 
River. One sunny May morning my father said, " Come, Elinor, I 
want you to go with me." Of course I was glad to go, and in a few 
minutes I was on my pony's back. We took the road by the river. 
The birds were singing merrily, and delicate wild flowers timidly 
looked out into this great world. As we came near the woods, the air 
was filled with smoke, and we could see the flames creeping among 
the dead leaves on the ground. 

We stopped our horses and listened. What strange cry was that 
we heard ? It came from a bird above us, flying slowly round and 
round. What is the trouble? Ah! We can see a tall tree trunk by 
the roadside. In the topmost branches is a nest, and around it the 
bird is flying. Her little brood is there. 

The flames are even now running up a dead vine that clings to the 
trunk. Some of the twigs of the nest are on fire. The bird stops her 
cries, flies swiftly to the nest, and pulls out the burning twigs with 
her beak. But she cannot pull them out fast enough. Oh, how we 
wished that we could help her ! The little birds must burn. What 
will the mother bird do ? She quietly folds her wings over her little 
ones, and dies with them. 



LESSON LXXXI. 
SOUNDS OF CONSONANTS. 

The consonants b, d, f, h, j, k, ?, m, p, q, r, f, v, w, y, 2, 
are never marked in the dictionary, because they always 
stand for the same or (in the case of d, as in chafed^) for 
nearly the same sounds. 

In the word cent, the sound of c is soft, or like the sound 
of 8. In can, the sound of c is hard, or like the sound 
of k. The letter is marked thus : — 

^ent, can. 



SOUNDS OF CONSONANTS. 69 

In gentle, the sound of g is soft, like the sound of /. In 
get, the sound of g is hard. The letter is marked thus : — 
gentle, get. 

In sun, the sound of s is sharp. When s stands for this 
sound, it is not marked in the dictionary. 

In rising, s has the sound of z, and is said to be vocal, 
because the voice is heard in the sound. When it stands 
for this sound, the s is marked thus : — 

riging. 

Oral Exercise. 
Referring to the list at the beginning of the lesson, give 
the sounds of the consonants that are never marked. 

In which of the following words is the sound of c hard, 
and in which soft? 

cellar cinder cut 

caller curve ceiling 

How would you mark c in each word ? 
In which of the following words is the sound of g hard 
and in which soft ? 

go general gander 

gave genius gentle 

How would you mark g in each word ? 

In the following words is the sound of s sharp or vocal ? 

this miss misers 

his seem hers 

say sees sinner 

In which words would you mark the s ? Which words 
have both the sharp and the vocal sound of s ? 

How would you mark the c, g, and s in each of the fol- 
lowing words ? 



grass 


crags 


cries 


gems 


sense 


nice 


circle 


singe 


lounge 



70 



STOllY FROM PICTURE. 



LESSON LXXXIL 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 

(Oral and then Written.) 




Connect a story with this picture, and arrange your 
composition in four paragraphs. 



Suggestions. 

Robins ; season of year ; where they have been all win- 
ter ; they are glad to get back ; where is the tree ? 

Building the nest ; lining it ; eggs ; number and color. 

The baby birds ; how they look ; how long they live in 
the nest ; how they are fed ; how they are taught to fly. 

Why we should be kind to the birds ; the pleasure they 
give ; their happy and useful lives. 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 71 

LESSON LXXXIII. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 
Read and commit to memory the following poem : — 

Keep a Watch on Your Words. 

Keep a watch on your words, my darlings, 

For words are wonderful things ; 
They are sweet like the bees' fresh honey ; 

Like the bees, they have terrible stings. 
They can bless like the warm, glad sunshine, 

And brighten a lonely life ; 
They can cut, in the strife of anger, 

Like a cruel two-edged knife. 

Let them pass through your lips unchallenged, 

If their errand is true and kind, 
If they come to support the weary, 

To comfort and help the blind. 
If a bitter, revengeful spirit 

Prompts the words, let them be unsaid. 
They may flash through a brain like lightning, 

Or fall on a heart like lead. 

Keep them- back, if they're cold and cruel, 

Under bar and lock and seal ; 
The wounds they make, my darlings, 

Are always slow to heal. 
May peace guard your lives, and ever, 

From this time of your early youth, 
May the words that you daily utter 

Be the beautiful words of truth. 

Write the thoughts of this poem in your own words, and 
tell what you think of them. 



72 



COMPOSITION. 



LESSON LXXXIV. 
COMPOSITION. 



Write the following story as though there were two 
squirrels instead of one, and use we instead of I: — 



The Squirrel. 

A little red squirrel lives in a tree near our home, and we are get- 
ting to be quite good friends. 

"When I first saw him, he was on a limb of a tree just over my 

head ; and what a noise he 
did make ! I think he was 
trying to tell me to go away. 
I put two or three nuts on 
the ground near the tree, and 
he soon came and picked 
them up. You ought to 
have seen how funny he 
looked with two large nuts 
in his mouth. 

The next day I went and 
left some more nuts in the 
same place, 
and he came 
and picked 
them up while 
I was standing 
near by. In 
a few days he 
would come 
and take the 
nuts from my 
hand, jump upon my shoulder, and then leap into the tree. 

Xow, when I go near his tree, I find him watching for me. He will 
run to meet me, jump into my arms, and look into all my pockets for 
something to eat. 




INFORMATION LESSON. 73 

LESSON LXXXV. 

INFORMATION LESSON. 

Insects. 

Insects wear their skeletons on the outside ; while birds, snakes, and 
fishes carry their skeletons inside their bodies. The insect has no 
real bones ; but it has a head, a chest, and a body, each protected by 
a case and connected with the other parts by a movable joint. Joined 
to the chest it has six legs, and usually four wings. 

The mouth of an insect contains jaws that work toward each other 
horizontally, instead of up and down as in the dog or horse. Some 
of them, like the cockroach and grasshopper, have jaws for crushing 
and chewing. The mouth of others, like the butterfly, that sucks 
sweet juices from flowers, has softer jaws. The under lip is turned 
into a tube, which, in some, rolls, and, when unrolled, is long enough 
to reach the calyx of a deep flower. From the sidgs of the mouth run 
out long feelers which carry the sense of touch, though insects have 
some power of feeling in their lips and feet. 

For breathing, the insect has holes nearly all over the body ; and 
tubes connect these holes with the living organs within. 

But the most wonderful thing of all about them is the change of 
form through which they pass. First in the egg ; then the living- 
thing that is hatched from the egg, which is called the larva, or cater- 
pillar; then the chrysalis, in which the larva is wrapped up like 
a baby in a blanket; and last, out of the chrysalis, the perfect 
insect. 

Like birds, insects live in the air, the earth, and the water. 

— Joiionnot's " Flyers, Creepers, and Swimmers." 

Topics for Conversation. 

What can you tell about the bones of insects ? 

How does the mouth of an insect differ from the mouth 
of a dog or a horse? What have yon learned about the 
mouth of a grasshopper? of a butterfly? What are the 
feelers ? 



74 POSSESSIVES. 

What can you say of the breathing apparatus of an 
insect? 

Through what changes in form does an insect pass? 
What insect, if any, have you observed while it was thus 
changing ? 

Name some insect that lives in the air ; in the water. 



LESSON LXXXVI. 
COMPOSITION. 
Write what you have learned about insects. 

LESSON LXXXVII. 

POSSESSIVES. 

All names, common or proper, when singular, are made 
to show ownership by adding the apostrophe and s : — 

Examples: Alice's hat blew into the ditch. 

The horse's head is very long. 

Names that show ownership are called possessives. 

Exercise. 
Write each of the following names in a sentence so as 
to denote ownership : — 



fox 


mouse 


horse 


Mr. Smith 


Ned 


Harry 


Charles 


Miss Gray 


puss 


Fido 


woman 


Uncle George 


fish 


tiger 


James 


31 is. Bliss 


ass 


rabbit 


walrus 


Dr. Davis 



In your sentences, which words are possessives ? 
Tell in each case what is possessed. 



REPRODUCTION. 75 

LESSON LXXXVIII. 

POSSESSIYES (continued). 

Plural nouns that do not end with * denote ownership 
by adding the apostrophe and s ('s) ; as, men's hats. 



"Write in a sentence each of the following plural nouns 
so as to express ownership, or possession : — 

men geese women mice oxen children 

Plural nouns ending in s denote ownership by adding 
the apostrophe ; as, boys' hats, girls' dresses. 

Exercise 2. 

Use in a sentence each of the following plural nouns so 
as to express ownership : — 



horses 


camels 


canaries 


ladies 


lions 


girls 


monkeys 


robins 


robins 


eagles 


rabbits 


cows 



Point out the possessive in each sentence, and tell what 
is possessed. 

LESSON LXXXIX. 
REPRODUCTION. 
Reproduce orally the following story : — 

The Old Horse's Atpeal. 

Once upon a time, a king who wished justice to be done to all his 
people, had a bell put up, so that any one who was injured by another 
might ring- it. Whenever it was rung, the king called together a 
council of the wise men to decide what should be done. From long 



76 STUDY OF POEM. 

use, the lower end of the rope was worn away, and a piece of wild 
vine was fastened on, to lengthen it. 

It so happened that a knight had a noble horse, which had served 
him long and well, but, having grown old and useless, was meanly and 
cruelly turned out on the common to take care of himself. Driven by 
hunger, the horse began biting at the vine, when the bell rang loud 
and clear. 

The wise men came, and finding that it was a poor, half-starved 
horse that was asking for justice, looked into his case, and decided 
that the knight whom he had served in his youth should feed and 
care for him in his old age. And the king made the decree, adding 
to it a heavy fine if the knight did not do his duty to the faithful 
animal. 

To the Teacher. — Have the pupils read Longfellow's poem 
called The Bell of Atri. 



LESSON XC. 

STUDY OF POEM. 

Boys Wanted. 

Boys of spirit, boys of will, 

Boys of muscle, brain, and power, 

Fit to cope with anything, — 
These are wanted every hour. 

Not the weak and whining drones 
Who all troubles magnify, — 

Not the watchword of " I can't," 
But the nobler one, "I'll try." 

Do whate'er you have to do, 
With a true and earnest zeal; 

Bend your sinews to the task, — 
"Put your shoulders to the wheel." 

Though your duty may be hard, 

Look not on it as an ill ; 
If it be an honest task, 

Do it with an honest will. 



STUDY OF POEM. 77 

In the workshop, on the farm, 

Or wherever you may be, 
From your future efforts, boys, 

Comes a nation's destiny. 

Exercise. 

(Oral.) 

1. Give a description of the boys, and tell what is 
meant. 

2. What does the third verse in the first stanza mean ? 

3. " These are wanted every hour " where and by 
whom? 

4. What is meant by " whining drones " ? 

5. What is it to "magnify" troubles? What is the 
opposite ? 

6. What is a " watchword " ? 

7. What are " your sinews " ? 

8. " Put your shoulder " to what wheel? Why your 
shoulder ? 

9. Give your thought of the fourth stanza. 

10. Is the boy in the workshop as good as any other ? 

11. Which would you prefer, to have nothing to do, or 
to earn your own bread? 

12. What do the last two lines mean ? Do you believe 
what they say ? 

13. What nation is meant? 

14. Do the boys spoken of in the poem mean the boys 
in this very school ? 

15. Do you love your country ? What is a patriot? 

16. Do you love to read about patriots ? 

17. How can every boy make his country better and 
stronger? 

18. Can you name one boy who will try to do it? 



CHAPTER V. 

LESSON XCI. 

DICTATION EXERCISE. 

Willie's First Visit to the Farm. 

One pleasant evening in July, Willie arrived at his uncle's farm. 
He was tired out by a long day's journey, and soon went to bed. The 
next morning he fed Aunt Lizzie's hens and chickens. He found 
three hens' nests in the haymow. After dinner he drove his uncle's 
horse to the post office. On the way home he called at Cousin 
George's store and bought some tea, coffee, and sugar. 

Point out the common nouns and the proper nouns. 
Which of these nouns denote ownership? 

LESSON XCII. 

INFORMATION LESSON. 

A caterpillar is hatched from a tiny egg, and is at first very small. 
It grows fast because it eats so many green leaves. In the course of 

a few weeks, it sheds its skin sev- 
eral times. AVhen it is full-grown, 
it stops eating and looks about for 
a place where it can be undisturbed. 
Different kinds of caterpillars choose different kinds of places. 
Those that become butterflies generally fasten themselves to twigs, 
or to some other surface, by silk threads. At the end of one or two 
days, the skin of the caterpillar splits and falls off. 

Its body is then of an entirely different shape and color, and is 
called a chrysalis. After several days or several weeks, the skin 



COMPOSITION. 



79 



of the chrysalis splits, and the butterfly comes out. Its wings 
are crumpled and moist, but they soon dry in the air, and the 
butterfly spreads them and flies away. 

Some of the caterpillars which become 
moths crawl into the earth and there change 
to chrysalides. Others spin silk cocoons 
on twigs or fences or rocks, and change to 
chrysalides inside these. 

Butterflies and moths do not grow 
after they come from the chrysalides. 
They lay eggs which produce little caterpillars. Sometimes one 
butterfly or moth will lay more than two hundred eggs. 

— H. L. Clapp. 





Topics for Study and Conversation. 

Eggs — where they may be found. Food of cater- 
pillars. The skin. The chrysalis. The changes that 
take place from the egg to the butterfly. Differences 
between the butterfly and the moth. 



LESSON XCIII. 
COMPOSITION". 
Write what you have learned about Caterpillars. 



80 REVIEW. 

LESSON XCIV. 

I, ME, HE, HIM, SHE, HER. 

Exercise. 
(Oral and then Written.) 

Fill each blank below with J, me, he, him, she, or her. 

1. The dog chased Willie and . 

2. Willie and ran into the house. 

3. Between you and , this is a hard lesson. 

4. The trouble all came between and . 

5. The teacher thought it was , but both and told 

her that it was not so. 

6. Mother told Xed and to go to the post office. 

LESSON XCV. 
REVIEW. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Make a statement beginning with There is ; one begin- 
ning with There are. 

Make the same statements without using the word there. 

Ask a question beginning with Are you ; one beginning 
with Were you. Change the questions to statements. 

Make a statement beginning with There was ; one begin- 
ning with There ivere. Change the statements to questions. 

Make the same statements without using there. 

Ask a question beginning with Is there ; one beginning 
with Are there. 

Make a statement beginning with You are ; one begin- 
ning with You were. 

Ask a question beginning with Was there ; one begin- 
ning with Were there. 



STORY FROM PICTURE. 



81 



LESSON XCVI. 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 




Topics for Study and Conversation. 

Scene of picture. Father and son. Where are they 
going? "Why do you think it a large boat? 

What interests the boy ? What do you know about a 
whale, its size, its life, its capture, and its uses to man? 
The birds. Why do they hover around the ship ? 

Length of this voyage. Why would you like such a 
trip? 

Tell a story about Jamie's Vacation. 




82 REPRODUCTION. 

LESSON XCVII. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 
Commit to memory and recite the following poem : — 

The Little People. 

A dreary place would be this earth, 

Were there no little people in it ; 
The song of life would lose its mirth, 

Were there no children to begin it ; 

No little forms like buds to grow, 

And make the admiring heart surrender; 
"No little hands on breast and brow, 

To keep the thrilling love chords tender. 
The sterner soul would grow more stern, 

Unfeeling nature more inhuman ; 
And man to Stoic coldness turn, 

And woman would be less than woman. 
Life's song, indeed, would lose its charm, 

Were there no babies to begin it ; 
A doleful place this world would be, 

Were there no little people in it. 

LESSON XCVIII. 
REPRODUCTION. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Read the following fable, and then write it in your own 
words : — 

The Goose and the Golden Eggs. 

Once upon a time there was a man who had a goose he thought a 
great deal of. And well he might do so, for this was the strangest 
goose that ever lived. Every day she laid an egg. " There is noth- 
ing strange about that," you will say. Ah ! but the eggs this goose 
laid were of solid gold. Think of that ! 



IS AND ARE. 83 

Day after day this strange bird laid a shining golden egg for 
her master. That was why he liked the goose so much. You may be 
sure he did not sell these eggs in the market. Not he : he hid them 
away carefully in a great iron box. 

Every day he found a bright new golden egg in the goose's nest, 
and added it to the pile. He was so glad to get it that he could 
hardly wait for the night to pass and the morning to come. Each 
day seemed as long as a week to him. 

When he saw the pile growing higher and higher in the iron box, 
he rubbed his hands with glee. "Ah!" said he to himself, "if it 
were only full, I should be the richest man in the world." 

He could think of nothing but his golden pile. At last he grew 
so greedy that he wanted all his gold at once. He thought he would 
find plenty of eggs in the goose's body, and not have to wait and wait 
and wait any longer. 

So one day he killed the wonderful bird. But when he came to 
look for more eggs, — why, there were none to be found ! 

Foolish man ! He had killed the goose that laid the golden eggs. 



LESSON XCIX. 

IS AND ARE. 
Exercise. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Fill the blanks below with is or are, and give reasons for 
your choice. Then fill them with was or ivere. 

1. All of the chickens out of the coop. 

2. Not one of the chickens out of the coop. 

3. Both of the horses lame. 

4. Neither of the horses lame. 

5. John and Mary going to the party. 

6. John or Mary going to the party. 

7. All of the girls at school. 

8. Every one of the girls at school. 

9. All of the children to receive books. 

10. Each of the children to receive a book. 



84 PRONUNCIATION EXERCISE. 

LESSON G. 

SINGULARS AND PLURALS. 

Review Exercise. 
(Oral and then Written.) 

In the following sentences, use plural nouns instead of 
the nouns in Italics, and make such other changes as are 
necessary : — 

1. The bird carries straws in its mouth to build its nest. 

2. It builds its nest in a tall tree. 

3. There is a nest in a tree near our house. 

4. There is a blue egg in this nest. 

5. The egg has black spots on it. 

6. A little boy knows where the bird has its nest. 

7. Do you think this boy will harm the nest t Not he ! 

8. He watched the bird while it was building its nest. 

9. He likes to hear it sing its sweet song. 

10. The boy thinks a bird has as good a right to live and be happy 
as a boy has. 

11. He calls any boy who will harm a bird's nest a coward. 

LESSON CI. 
PRONUNCIATION EXERCISE. 
Pronounce the following words as marked : — 

for bade' gen'tle man I de'a 

en'gine hal lob' in stead' 

drowned height I tal'ics 

drown'ing ho ri'zon noth'ing (o=ii) 

After studying the foregoing words, copy them upon 
your slate, then close your book and mark each word to 
denote its proper pronunciation. 

Use each word in an oral sentence. 



STORY FROM PICTURE. 



85 



LESSON CII. 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 




(Oral.) 
Suggestions. 

Name of hoy. The city in which he lived. Had been 
at school — after school. Appearance of street. Old lady 
— poor — bundle — hard work — difficulty in crossing the 
street. What the boy did. Kindness to the poor — re- 
spect for age. 

(Written.) 

Write a story about A Noble Bo//, using these sugges- 
tions. 



86 PARAGRAPHS. 

LESSON CHI. 
PARAGRAPHS. 

For convenience, books are divided into chapters, and 
chapters are divided into paragraphs. Each paragraph 
relates to some particular part of the subject upon which 
the author is writing. Thus, the first five lines of this 
lesson form a paragraph. 

The first word of a paragraph is usually set in, or 
indented, to the right of the first words in the lines above 
and below it. 

It would be much more difficult to read books if they 
were not divided into chapters and paragraphs. This you 
will easily understand if you try to read some one's com- 
position that has not been divided into paragraphs. 

A paragraph should contain all that relates to some 
particular part of a topic. If you examine the para- 
graphs in any carefully written book, you can tell what 
the author is writing about in each one. 

There are usually two or more sentences in a paragraph, 
but it may contain only one. It must be remembered 
that all the sentences in a paragraph should express 
thoughts which are closely related to each other. 

Answer in oral sentences : — 

How many paragraphs are there above this question? 
How many lines are indented? What is the first para- 
graph about? the second? the third? the fourth? the 
fifth? 

Why should letters and other kinds of composition be 
divided into paragraphs ? How can you tell when to 
begin a new paragraph? 



INFORMATION LESSON. 



87 



LESSON CIV. 



INFORMATION LESSON. 



Spiders. 




Spiders are not insects. Most people think that a spider is an 

insect ; but they are quite wrong. 

An insect looks as if its body were almost cut 

into three parts ; and it always has six legs. Now, 

the body of the spider is made up of two pieces 

joined together. Then the spider has eight legs 

instead of six — four on each side. 

If you could look inside the body of a spider, 

you would see that it does not breathe as insects 

do. All insects breathe through little tubes that 

run all over the body, and open into a row of holes 

along each side. But the spider has a sort of lung, 

and does not have the air tubes. 

Insects always go through a number of changes after they are 

hatched ; but the spider 
has no such changes. A 
young spider is of the 
same shape as an old 
one. So, you see that 
spiders are not insects. 

All spiders spin webs 
of some sort through all 
their lives ; while no 
insect can spin a web 
of any kind after it 
has passed through its 
second change. The 
silkworm can spin ; but 
when the silkworm be- 
comes a moth, it can 
spin no more. 

There are a great 
many sorts of spiders, 




88 THE APOSTROPHE. 

such as wolf spiders, hunting spiders, mason spiders, field spiders, 
etc (See Wood's "Natural History Readers," and Johonnot's 
" Flyers, Creepers, and Swimmers.") 

Topics for Study and Conversation. 

Not a true insect. Why ? Body divided into two parts. 
Number of legs. How it breathes. Insects go through 
what changes ? Webs, — how made. 

Different kinds of spiders — wolf spiders — hunting 
spiders — mason spiders — ■ lield spiders — water spiders. 

How water spiders build their nests. How garden spi- 
ders spin their webs. How they catch their prey. 



LESSON CV. 

COMPOSITION* 

Write a composition on The Spider following the order 
of the Suggestions in Lesson CIV., and dividing your com- 
position into three paragraphs. It is not necessary that 
you write on every topic under the suggestions. You 
may select from each group. 

LESSON CVI. 
THE APOSTROPHE. 

Sometimes a letter is omitted in writing a word, or 
two words are joined together with one or more letters 
omitted. The new words thus formed are called contrac- 
tions; as, o'er, don't. 

In contractions, the apostrophe is used to take the place 
of omitted letters. Contractions should be used sparingly. 



DICTATION. 89 

Copy the following contractions, and write after each 
the word or words in full. 



it's 


I'll 


hadn't — 


can't 


won't 


I'm 


I've 


o'er 


wouldn't 


don't 


didn't 


he'll 


doesn't 


there's 


'twas 


we'll 


e'er 


ma'am — 



Kame the letter or letters omitted in each contraction. 

What difference can you see between contractions and 
abbreviations ? 

Remember that the apostrophe is a necessary part of 
every written contraction. 



LESSON CVII. 
DICTATION. 
Write from dictation the following questions : — 

1. On what day is (or was) Easter Sunday this year? 

2. What occurs the first Monday of every December ? 

3. What takes place every fourth year, on the first Tuesday after 
the first Monday in November ? 

4. What usually comes on the last Thursday of November? 

5. What is the Friday before Easter called? 

6. Can there be five Saturdays in February ? Explain. 

7. On what day of the week was (or will be) the Fourth of July 
this year ? 

8. What month, or months, will have five Sundays this year? 

9. How many of the days of the week have names that are dis- 
syllables ? 

Write answers to the foregoing questions. Use com- 
plete sentences. 



90 STUDY OF POEM. 

LESSON CVIII. 
STUDY OF POEM. 
The Three Bells. 

Beneath the low-hung night cloud 
That raked her splintering mast, 

The good ship settled slowly ; 
The cruel leak gained fast. 

Over the awful ocean 

Her signal guns pealed out. 

Dear God ! was that thy answer 
From the horror round about? 

A voice came down the wild wind, 
" Ho ! ship ahoy ! " its cry : 

" Our stout Three Bells of Glasgow 
Shall lay till daylight by." 

Hour after hour crept slowly, 
Yet on the heaving swells 

Tossed up and down the ship-lights, 
The lights of The Three Bells, 

And ship to ship made signals, 
Man answered back to man, 

While oft, to cheer and hearten, 
The Three Bells nearer ran ; 

And the captain from her taffrail, 
Sent down his hopeful cry : 

"Take heart! hold on ! " he shouted, 
» The Three Bells shall lay by ! " 

All night across the waters 
The tossing lights shone clear ; 

All night from reeling taffrail 
The Three Bells sent her cheer. 



■ COMPOSITION. 91 

And when the dreary watches 

Of storm and darkness passed, 
Just as the wreck lurched under, 

All souls were saved at last. 

Sail on, Three Bells, forever, 

In grateful memory sail ! 
Ring on, Three Bells of rescue, 

Above the wave and gale ! 

Type of the Love eternal, 

Repeat the Master's cry, 
As tossing through our darkness 

The lights of God draw nigh. 

— John G. Whittier. 

Oral Exercise. 

1. How many ships are spoken of in the poem, The 
Three Bells ? Tell something about each of them. 

2. What are "signal guns"? In the third and fourth 
verses of the second stanza, what does the question 



mean 



? 



3. Whose voice "came down the wild wind"? What 
did it say ? Why does the poet say, " Shall lay by " ? 1 
Did you ever see any " ship-lights " ? What are they ? 

4. Give the meaning of the fifth stanza. Of the sixth. 
What is a " taffrail " ? Why does the poet say " reeling 
taffrail " ? What is meant by " sent her cheer " ? 



LESSON CIX. 

COMPOSITION. 

Write the story of The Three Bells. 

1 A private note from the poet to the author says, " An old sail would 
hardly know what was meant by the expression, ' shall lie by.' " 



CHAPTER VI. 

LESSON CX. 
LETTER WRITING. 

A letter is a kind of composition, and it should always 
be carefully written. The form of a letter is of great 
importance, especially as regards the first and the last 
part of it. 

A letter is made up of four parts : the heading, the 
salutation, the body of the letter, and the conclusion. An- 
other matter of great importance is the address on the 
envelope, or the superscription. 

Notice carefully the arrangement, the capital letters, 
and the marks of punctuation in the following letter, and 
then copy it. 

HEADING. 

W~aLtk&m, Ifici^^., b&&. //, /8<j3. 
JTlif citcih Tttotkth, 



SALUTATION. 



RODV OF LETTER. 



J avvlvicL aafo and an tiant. £tk& 
joiiwv&y clicL not &&MVU Loo in, eu& J wa& 
viw&fi Lnt&i&&t&cl ill w-a/t&fiina tti& othcinnb 
mwrifoby tfito-iiafi ivfiUfi w& foam&d. 



THE HEADING. 93 

CONCLUSION. 

LESSON CXI. 
THE HEADING. 

The heading of a letter should indicate the place Avhere, 
and the time when, the letter was written. When answer- 
ing a letter, a person looks to the heading to see how to 
direct his answer. 

In the letter in Lesson CX., Waltham, Mass., tells where 
the letter was written, and Dec. 11, 1893, tells when it was 
written. If this letter had been written in a large city, 
the number and street should also have been given in the 
heading. 

Study carefully the arrangement, capitals, and punctu- 
ation of the following headings : — 

Scranton, R. I., Nov. 7, 1892. 

Winchester, Middlesex Co., Mass., 

Tuesday, March 13, 1890. 

Cook Co. Normal School, 

Englewood, Illinois. 

April 15, 1891. 

149 Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111.. 

March 21, 18!) 1. 



94 THE SALUTATION. 

LESSON CXII. 

THE HEADING (continued). 
Oral Exercise. 

Of what should the heading of a letter consist? 

What is the use of the heading? 

What items should be contained in the heading of a 
letter that is written in a village ? 

What additional items should be contained in the head- 
ing of a letter written in a large city ? Why ? 

Tell what marks of punctuation you would use in the 
heading. 

Written Exercise. 

Write the following headings, taking care to arrange 
and punctuate them correctly : — 

1. New York, Auburn, Jan. 4, 1890. 

2. June 16, 1891, Mass., Boston, 47 Exeter St. 

3. Chicago, 111., Palmer House, 1S93, April 14. 

4. Columbia, S.C., April 19, 1890, Laurel St., No. 84. 

What heading would you use, if writing a letter from 
your own home ? 

LESSON CXIII. 

THE SALUTATION. 

The salutation is the term of politeness, respect, or 
affection, with which we introduce a letter. 

In letters to dear friends, salutations like the following 
are used : — 

My dear Mother. Dear Uncle. 

My dear Henry. Dear Miss Johnson. 



THE SALUTATION". 95 

Copy the following forms, and notice carefully the 
position, capitals, and punctuation of the headings and 

salutations : — 

Charleston, S.C., Aug. 8, 1893. 
My dear Mother, 

I am very glad to hear, etc. 

Englewood, 111., April 15, 1894. 
Dear Uncle, 

My father has been very sick, etc. 

Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 12, 1892. 
Dear Miss Johnson, 

You must have heard, etc. 

In letters to strangers or to very slight acquaintances, 
the following forms of salutation are used : — 

Mr. Robert James, Mrs. Addison Ray, 

Dear Sir, Dear Madam, 

Jerome Bates, Esq., Miss Emma James, 

Dear Sir, Dear Madam, 

The salutation should in general be followed by a 
comma, as in the examples given ; or, if the letter begins 
on the same line, by a comma and a dash ; as, — 

Rev. Thos. H. Wilson, 

Dear Sir, — I am pleased to learn, etc. 

Write the foregoing salutations as your teacher dictates 
them. 

LESSON CXIV. 
THE SALUTATION (continued). 

Oral Exercise. 

What would be the salutation, if you were writing a 
letter to your mother? father? brother? sister? a school- 
mate? a friend? a gentleman whom you had met only 



96 THE CONCLUSION". 

once or twice ? an unmarried lady who is an intimate 
friend ? a married lady who is a slight acquaintance ? 

Written Exercise. 

1. Write the heading and salutation of a letter to your 
mother, from Albany, March 7, 1880. 

2. To your brother, from Scranton, Pa., April 4, 1879. 

3. To a gentleman and near friend, from Chicago, 111., 
486 Wabash Avenue, Jan. 8, 1875. 

4. To your teacher, from your own home to-day. 

5. To a schoolmate, from Washington, D.C., 54 H St., 
Jan. 1, 1884. 

6. To a stranger from whom you wish to obtain employ- 
ment. 

LESSON CXV. 
THE CONCLUSION. 

The conclusion of a letter is that which is added after 
the body of the letter is finished. It consists of the 
complimentary close and the signature. 

The complimentary close, consisting of words of respect 
or affection, is written on the line below the body of the 
letter. If long, it may occupy two, or even more, lines. 

The signature is written on the line next below the 
complimentary close. 

Be careful that neither is crowded too far toward the 
right-hand edge of the paper. 

CONCLUSIONS. 

Your loving daughter, 

Jennie. 

Yours respectfully, 

M. J. Cherrinsfton. 



ORAL REVIEW. 97 

Yours truly, 

Robert Richmond. 

Your affectionate nephew, 

James Bradley. 

Sincerely your friend, 

Allen Thornton. 



LESSON CXVI. 
ORAL REVIEW. 

1. What does the conclusion of a letter include? 

2. What is meant by the complimentary close ? by the 
signature f by the salutation ? 

3. What would be a proper complimentary close of a 
letter to your father? mother? brother? sister? friend? 

4. Where should the signature be written? the saluta- 
tion ? the complimentary close ? 

5. What items should appear in the heading of a letter ? 

6. How should the heading be punctuated ? 

7. What is the difference between the heading of a 
letter written in a village and that of one written in a city ? 

8. Describe the salutation and the conclusion of a letter 
written to your father, giving capitals and punctuation. 

9. Describe the exact position of the different parts of 
the heading, the address, and the conclusion. 

10. To whom would the following salutations be appro- 
priate ? 

Mr. James Ritchie, American Book Company, 

Dear Sir, Gentlemen, 

Mrs. Louise Chandler, Supt. M. J. Brown, 

Dear Madam, Dear Sir, 

My dear Son, Dear Arthur, 

7 



98 MEMORY EXERCISE. 

lesson cxvn. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 
Commit the following poem to memory : — 
The Will axd the Way. 

There's something I'd have you remember, boys, 

To help in the battle of life ; 
It will give you strength in the time of need 

And help in the hour of strife. 
Whenever there's something that should be done, 

Don't be a coward, and say, 
" What use to try ? " Remember, then, 

That " where there's a will there's a way." 

There's many a failure for those who win ; 

But though at first they fail, 
They try again, and the earnest ones 

Are sure at last to prevail. 
Though the mountain is steep and hard to climb, 

You can win the heights I say, 
If you make up your mind to reach the top, 

For " where there's a will there's a way." 

The men who stand at the top are those 

Who never could bear defeat ; 
Their failures only made them strong 

For the work they had to meet. 
The will to do and the will to dare 

Is what we want to-day ; 
What has been done can be done again, 

For the will finds out the w T ay. 

1. What is the thing to remember? Why? 

2. Give the meaning of the first four lines of second 
stanza. 

3. What is meant by " the mountain ? " 

4. How can failures make men strong? 



THE ENVELOPE. 99 

LESSON CXVIII. 

A LETTER. 

Write to your teacher a letter of three paragraphs about 
the events of yesterday. Show that you can write a 
correct heading, salutation, and conclusion. Be very care- 
ful of the language in the body of your letter. 



LESSON CXIX. 
THE ENVELOPE. 

Turn to Lesson CX., and you will find a letter from 
Jennie to her mother. Before this letter is posted, it must 
be folded and placed in an envelope, which should be 
properly directed in order that it may promptly reach its 
destination. We will suppose that Jennie's father is living 
in Greytown, Pa., and that his name is Philip C. Murray. 
Jennie should direct the letter as follows : — 



Sivutown,, 



100 THE ENVELOPE. 

If Mrs. Murray's address were in a large city like 
Philadelphia, the street and number should be added to 
the address on the envelope, as follows : — 



Stamp. 



Thus,. MlU/j, & TnwuL&j, 

1016 dktdtmvt cftiztt, 

Qpklla oULftAia,, 
3>a. 



The width of an envelope is usually a very little more 
than one half the length. Sometimes it requires the fold- 
ing of the paper into two parts and sometimes into three. 

Written Exercise. 
Draw five rectangles representing five envelopes. Direct 
them to the following persons, noticing carefully the dis- 
tance of each part of the address from the left end of the 
envelope : — 

1. To your teacher at her own home. 

2. To your father or mother. 

3. To Mrs. Jas. R. Munroe, who resides at 47 High St., 
Providence, R.I. 

4. To Mr. C. R. Stetson, who is a clergyman living in 
Bloomington, 111. 

5. To George E. Davis, at 1896 Lake St., Chicago, 111. 



A LETTER. 



101 



LESSON CXX. 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 




Suggestions. 

The names of the children. Christmas time in their 
home. People to whom Christmas brings little happiness. 
How the children came to think of others. Their visit, 
what they found, and what they did. Why we should 
remember the poor, especially at Christmas time. 



LESSON CXXI. 

A LETTER. 



John Harrison, of San Francisco, writes to his friend, 
Walter Manning, of Chicago, March 1, 1894. 

The following is an analysis of his letter. Make as 
many paragraphs as there are topics. 



102 



ABBREVIATIONS. 



Analysis. 

The weather for the past month. His father has been 
very sick. He has a small garden of his own, and tells 
what he lias planted. He tells how he takes care of his 
plants, and how they are thriving. He asks Walter to 
visit him, and describes the route by which he must go. 
He plans how they will spend their time if Walter should 



Write the letter in full, 
velope. 



Draw and address the en- 



LESSON CXXII. 



ABBREVIATIONS. 

Some words are shortened in writing, — two or three 
letters only representing the whole word; as, Col. for 
Colonel ; Esq. for Esquire ; Hon. for Honorable, and Rev. 
for Reverend. Col., Esq., Hon., and Rev. are called abbre- 
viations. 

Written Exercise. 

Learn the following abbreviations, and use them in 

sentences : — 



@, at. 

A.M. {Ante Meridiem), Before noon. 

Av., or Ave., Avenue. 

Capt., Captain. 

Col., Colonel. 

cts., cents. 

cwt., hundredweight. 

doz., dozen. 

Esq., Esquire. 

etc. (et cceterd), and so forth. 

Gen., General. 



Jas., James. 

Jno., John. 

M. (Meridian), Noon. 

Mrs., Mistress. 

N. Y., New York: 

P.M. (Post Meridiem), Afternoon. 

P.M., Postmaster. 

P.O., Post Office. 

P.S., Postscript. 

Rev., Reverend. 

St., Street. 



ABBREVIATIONS. 103 

LESSON CXXIII. 

ABBREVIATIONS (continued). 

Dictation Exercise. 

1. Gen. U. S. Grant died July 23, 1885. 

2. The morning session of school begins at 9 o'clock a.m. and 
closes at 12 m. 

3. Col. James A. Dean was seen on Lincoln Av., at 2 o'clock p.m. 

4. Capt. and Mrs. Barry are living at 312 Arlington St. 

5. Rev. H. W. Beecher died March 8, 1887. 

6. Samuel Weller added a postscript to his letter, and then took 
it to the post office. 

7. 6 doz. eggs @ 12 cts. a doz. will cost 72 cts. 

8. A company of soldiers is commanded by a captain ; a regiment, 
by a colonel ; and an army, by a general. 

9. Benjamin Disraeli was created a peer for eminent services, with 
the title of Earl Beaconsfield. 

10. Troy weight is used in weighing gold, silver, etc. 

11. Rev. M. J. Savage will preach at 4 p.m. 

Oral Exercise. 

What titles are used in the dictation exercise in con- 
nection with the names of persons ? What titles are not 
so used? What titles are abbreviated in the sentences 
which you have written? What titles are not abbrevi- 
ated? What titles begin with capital letters? What 
titles do not begin with capital letters ? Make a rule for 
the use of capitals in titles. 

What initials are used as abbreviations? Should such 
initials be capitals? What mark should be placed after 
every abbreviation ? 

What is a postscript? What is the abbreviation for 
" and so forth " ? What was the highest office held by 
Gen. U. S. Grant? 



104 REPRODUCTION. 

LESSON CXXIV. 
REPRODUCTION. 

Read the following poem, and tell the story in your own 
words : — 

The Afternoon Nap. 

The farmer sat in his easy-chair, 

Smoking his pipe of clay, 
While his hale old wife, with busy care, 

Was clearing the dinner away ; 
A sweet little girl with fine blue eyes, 
On her grandfather's knee was catching flies. 

The old man laid his hand on her head, 

With a tear on his wrinkled face ; 
He thought how often, her mother, dead — 

Had sat in the self -same place ; 
And the tear stole down from his half-shut eye ; 
" Don't smoke ! " said the child, " how it makes you cry ! " 

The house-dog lay stretched out on the floor, 

Where the shade, after noon, used to steal ; 
The busy old wife, by the open door, 

Was turning the spinning wheel ; 
And the old brass clock on the manteltree, 
Had plodded along to almost three. 

Still the farmer sat in his easy-chair, 

While close to his heaving breast, 
The moistened brow and the cheek so fair 

Of his sweet grandchild were pressed; 
His head bent down on her soft hair lay; 
Fast asleep were they both, that summer day. 

(Oral.) 

Describe the picture in your imagination of the farm- 
house, the farmer, his wife, the little girl, and the dog. 



PRON UNCI ATION. 105 

LESSON CXXV. 

THE BLACKSMITH. 

Oral Exercise. 

Do you know of any blacksmith's shop near your home ? 
If so, will you visit it with some friend older than yourself ? 

Keep your eyes wide open while you are in the shop ; 
and then, when you return to school, tell the class all 
that you have learned about the following things : — 

1. Introduction. — Different kinds of smiths. — Busi- 
ness of the blacksmith. 

2. Materials used. 5. Forge and bellows. 

3. Names of the tools. 6. The anvil. 

4. Uses of the tools. 7. Kinds of work done. 

LESSON CXXVI. 
PRONUNCIATION. 

Oral Exercise. 

Pronounce the following words according to the mark 
ing: — 

laugh'ter prob'ably shrieked 

leisure re'al ly sifting 

nests reg'ii lar sixth 

plc'ture ri dic'u lofis stamped 

In the first word what sound has gh ? 
Give the vowel sound in each accented syllable. 
Give the vowel sound in each monosyllable. 
Give all the vowel sounds in the polysyllable. 
Pronounce the two shortest words very distinctly. 
Show that you know the meaning of cadi word, by 
using it in a sentence. 



106 REPRODUCTION. 

LESSON CXXVII. 

A LETTER. 

Suppose a letter to have been written by Walter Man- 
ning, of Chicago, 111., in reply to John Harrison, of San 
Francisco, Cal. It was dated June 1, 1893. 

Suggestions. 

Walter is glad to hear from John. Health of himself 
and the rest of the family. He has a good boat, which he 
describes. Sailing party on the Lake, — no accident ex- 
cept the loss of one or two hats. Would be pleased to 
visit John, — gives reason why he cannot do so this 
summer. 

Write the letter in full. Draw and direct the envelope. 

LESSON CXXVIIL 
REPRODUCTION. 

Read carefully the following story, and write the 
thoughts in your own words without referring to the 
book. Divide your story into three paragraphs. 

Learn the saying of Horace Mann, and write it word for 
word at the end of your story. If you know exactly what 
the saying means, you will never forget it. 

The Force of Habit. 

There was once a horse that used to pull around a sweep which 
lifted dirt from the depths of the earth. He was kept at the business 
for nearly twenty years, until he became old, blind, and too stiff in 
the joints for further use. So he was turned into a pasture, and left 
to crop the grass without any one to disturb or bother him. 

The funny thing about the old horse was that every morning, after 



STUDY OF POEM. 107 

grazing awhile, he would start on a tramp, going round and round in 
a circle, just as he had been accustomed to do for so many years. He 
would keep it up for hours, and people often stopped to look, and 
wondered what had got into the head of the venerable animal to make 
him walk around in such a solemn way when there was no earthly 
need of it. It was the force of habit. 

The boy who forms bad or good habits in his youth will be led by 
them when he becomes old, and will be miserable or happy accord- 
ingly. 

Habit is a cable, — we weave a thread of it each day, and at last 
we cannot break it. — Horace Mann. 



LESSON CXXIX. 

STUDY OF POEM. 
Read and commit to memory the following poem : — 

The First Snow Fall. 

The snow had begun in the gloaming, 

And busily all the night 
Had been heaping field and highway 

With a silence deep and white. 

Every pine and fir and hemlock 
Wore ermine too dear for an earl, 

And the poorest twig on the elm tree 
Was ridged inch deep with pearl. 

I stood and watched by the window 

The noiseless work of the sky. 
And the sudden flurries of snowbirds, 

Like brown leaves whirling by. 

I thought of a mound in sweet Auburn 

Where a little headstone stood ; 
How the flakes were folding it gently. 

As did robins the babes in the wood. 



108 REPRODUCTION. 

Up spoke our own little Mabel, 

Saying, " Father, who makes it snow?' 1 

And I told of the good All-Father 
Who cares for us here below. 



Then, with eyes that saw not, I kissed her; 

And she, kissing back, could not know 
That my kiss was given to her sister, 

Folded close under deepening snow. 

— James Russell Lowell. 

Topics for Study and Conversation. 

1. At what time in the day did it begin to snow? How 
do you know? At what time was Mr. Lowell speaking? 
How did he know that the snow had been busy all the 
night? What is the meaning of the last verse in the first 
stanza? 

2. What is ermine? What is its color? Why should 
it be costly? What is an earl? What is the meaning of 
the last verse in the second stanza ? Describe the picture 
that this stanza brings to your mind. 

3. What two things was the poet watching from his 
window? What was he thinking about? Where is 
" sweet Auburn 5 ' ? Tell the story of The Babes in the 
Wood. 

4. Who was watching the snow with the poet ? What 
is meant by " All-Father " ? By " eyes that saw not " ? 
Tell the meaning of the sixth stanza. 

LESSON CXXX. 

REPRODUCTION. 

Write in your own words the meaning of the poem 
entitled The First Snow Fall. 



CHAPTER VII. 

LESSON CXXXI. 

DIRECT QUOTATIONS. 

Exercise^ 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Copy the following sentences just as they are written : — 

1. " Have you learned your lesson ? " asked May's teacher. 

2. " No, Miss Chapin, and I cannot learn it; it is too hard," replied 
May. 

3. " Have you not been idle, May?" asked the teacher. 

4. " I have been idle only a minute," answered May. 

5. " Take care of the minutes, May, and your lesson will soon be 
learned," remarked the teacher. 

Who is represented as speaking in each of the fore- 
going sentences ? 

Tell the exact words used in each sentence by the 
speaker. 

In which sentences are the exact words of the speaker 
in the form of a question ? In which are they in the form 
of a statement ? 

What punctuation mark must always follow a ques- 
tion ? What mark must follow a statement ? 

What other marks beside the commas do you see in 
the sentences, and where are they ? 

109 



110 INDIRECT QUOTATIONS. 

When a speaker or writer uses the exact words of 
another in telling what the other has said, the exact words 
are said to be quoted, and they form a direct quotation. 

A direct quotation is the expression of the thought of another 
in his own words. It must be inclosed in quotation marks (" "), 
and, if a complete statement, must begin with a capital. 

A comma usually precedes a direct quotation that does 
not stand at the beginning of a sentence. Punctuation 
marks that belong to a quotation must stand within the 
quotation marks. 

Titles of books, pictures, poems, or newspapers, also 
assumed names of writers, etc., are often written with 
quotation marks ; as, " Our Old Home," " The Sistine 
Madonna," "Gray's Elegy," "The New York Herald," 
"Oliver Optic" (William T. Adams). 



LESSON CXXXII. 
INDIRECT QUOTATIONS. 

In quoting another person, we are not obliged to use 
his exact words. We may express his thoughts in our 
own words. If you will turn to Lesson CXXXI., you 
will see how easily this may be done. 

The sentences marked 1 and 2 might have been 
written as follows : — 

1. May's teacher asked her whether she had learned her lesson. 

2. May replied that she had not, and that she could not learn it, 
because it was too hard. 

In the same way, rewrite the sentences marked 3, 4, 
and 5. 



QUOTATIONS. Ill 

Examine the sentences which have been rewritten, to 
see whether you can find the exact words of the teacher 
and of May. 

An indirect quotation is the expression of another's thought 
without using his exact -words. Quotation marks are not used in 
indirect quotations. 

LESSON CXXXIII. 

QUOTATIONS (continued). 

Exercise. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Change the following to indirect quotations : — ■ 

1. My mother said, " Annie, come directly home from school." 

2. I replied, "Mother, I will come just as soon as the teacher ex- 
cuses me." 

8. "I feel sure that you will," said mother. 

Change the following indirect quotations to direct : — 

4. Charlie asked me to lend him my knife. 

5. The teacher told us that the birds would soon go south for the 
winter. 

6. Willie asked Charlie how many papers he had sold. 

7. Charlie replied that he had sold only twenty-five papers. 

LESSON CXXXIV. 

QUOTATIONS (continued). 

A* Fable. 

A Hare once made fun of a Tortoise. " What a slew way you 
have ! " he said. " How you creep along ! " 

"Do 1?" said the Tortoise. "Try a race with me, and I will beat 
you." 

"You only say that for fun," said the Hare. "But come ! I will 
race with you. Who will mark off the bounds and give the prize?" 



112 VERB FORMS. 

"Let us ask the Fox," said the Tortoise. 

The Fox was very wise and fair ; so he showed them where they 
were to start, and how far they were to run. 

The Tortoise lost no time. She started at once, and jogged straight 
on. The Hare knew he could come to the end in two or three jumps, 
so he lay down and took a nap first. By and by he awoke, and then 
ran fast ; but when he came to the end, the Tortoise was already 
there. 

Slow and steady wins the race. 

(Oral.) 

Are the quotations in this fable direct or indirect? 
Read the quotations only. 

Try to tell the story in your own words, using no direct 
quotations. 

What is a fable ? What does this one teach ? 

Why should the hare and the tortoise be selected to 
illustrate this fable ? 

(Written.) 

Write the story of The Hare and the Tortoise in your 
own words, and tell what you think it means. Use no 
direct quotations. 

LESSON CXXXV. 

VERB FORMS. 

The word break suggests breaks, breaking, broke, broken. 

The word bite suggests bites, biting, bit, bitten. 

The word eat suggests eats, eating, ate, eaten. 

The word drive suggests drives, driving, drove, driven. 

The first three words of each set are called present forms, 
the fourth and fifth are past forms. 

The first three words of each set are used correctly by 
almost everybody. The last two words of each set cause 



REPRODUCTION. 113 

many errors. The trouble arises from using one for the 
other. 

The fifth word in each set is properly used after one 
of the following words : have, has, had, having, be, is, am 
are, ivas, were, being, been. 

The fourth word in each set should never be used after 
one of these words. 

Construct sentences to show that you can use the 
last two words of the four sets above correctly. 

To the Teacher. — Confine the drill to the parts of the verb that 
cause errors. Review the lesson frequently. 

LESSON CXXXVI. 

REPRODUCTION. 

Read, with your teacher, the following poem, and then 
write the thoughts in your own words. 

Thanksgiving Day. 

Over the river and through the wood, 
To grandfather's house we go ; 

The horse know T s the way 

To carry the sleigh 
Through the white and drifted snow. 

Over the river and through the wcod — 
Oh, how the -wind does blow ! 

It stings the toes 

And bites the nose, 
As over the ground we go. 

Over the river and through the wood, 
To have a first-rate play. 
Hear the bells ring, 
Ting-a-ling-ding ! " 
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day ! 
8 



114 



INFORMATION EXERCISE. 



Over the river and through the wood, 
Trot fast, my dapple-gray ! 

Spring over the ground, 

Like a hunting-hound ! 
For this is Thanksgiving Day. 

Over the river and through the wood, 
And straight through the barnyard gate, 

We seem to go 

Extremely slow, — 
It is so hard to wait ! 

Over the river and through the wood — 
Now grandmother's cap I spy ! 
Hurrah for the fun ! 
Is the pudding done ? 
Hurrah for the pumpkin-pie ! 

— L. Maria Child. 



LESSON CXXXVII. 
INFORMATION EXERCISE. 
12 3 






WORKER BEE. 



The Honeybee. 

Unlike the spider, the honeybee is a social creature. Great num- 
bers of honeybees live together, and not only work together, but work 
on a common plan. As so many have to work together, there must 
be the strictest order and division of labor. 

There are three kinds of bees in every hive, — females or queens, 
males, and workers. The males, which are often called drones, do 



INFORMATION EXERCISE. 115 

not work. The workers collect the honey, feed and protect the 
young, and make the wax with which they build the cells. The males 
have no stings. 

Only one full-grown queen lives in a hive. After she has laid 
eggs in the cells prepared for them, the workers supply these cells 
with the pollen of flowers. This is mixed with honey and water, and 
forms the food of the little white worms that hatch from the eggs. 
These little worms change into workers, males, or queens. 

The worms that become queens are fed with a richer food than 
is given to the others. Five days after they are hatched they spin 
cocoons, and in sixteen days more they come out perfect queen bees. 
The workers and males have a slower growth. 

Topics for Study and Conversation. 

Different kinds of bees — queen bees ; drones; workers. 
Hives — honeycomb; wax; cells; eggs; cocoons. Bee- 
hunting — gathering honey. 



LESSON CXXXVIII. 

INFORMATION EXERCISE. 

The Honeybee {continued). 

When the little queens are full-grown, the old queen tries to kill 
them, for she is jealous and wants to reign alone. Either they must 
be destroyed, or she must leave the hive with a part of the bees, to 
make another home. But the workers keep watch, and do not let 
her come near the young queens until they are sure she doesn't mean 
to leave the hive. In that case, she is allowed to sting and kill all 
the young females, or queens. If, however, she flies off, followed by 
many of the bees, a young queen is set free. This queen usually 
departs with another swarm, as it is called, and the next one will do 
the same if the hive is still too large. 

When a young queen refuses to leave the hive, she fights with the 
remaining queens, and the one that comes off victorious becomes queen 
and sole mistress of the hive. 



116 SYNONYMS. 

Conversation Exercise. 

Is the queen bee a good mother ? Which bees may be 
called protectors? Why? What is meant by "swarm- 
ing " ? What happens when the old queen leaves the 
hive ? Who finally becomes queen of the old hive ? 



LESSON CXXXIX. 
COMPOSITION. 

Review very carefully the two preceding lessons, and 
write what you have learned about the honeybee. First 
make your notes, and determine the number of paragraphs 
in your composition. 

Any information you have gained from observation or 
from other books should be used to make your account of 
the honeybee more complete. 

LESSON CXL. 
SYNONYMS. 

Synonyms are words which have the same or similar 
meanings ; as, droll, comical ; forgive, pardon. 

In the following sentence, the word own may be used 
instead of possess, and the meaning will be the same : — 

Example : I should like to possess a horse and carriage. 

The words possess and own are synonyms. 
Find in the third and fourth columns synonyms to the 
words in the first and second columns. 

Examples: gift, present ; port, harbor, etc. 





A 


LETTER. 


1 


port 


house 




courteous 


vacant 


gift 


brave 




harbor 


heedless 


share 


crack 




portion 


fracture 


pursue 


careless 




present 


conceal 


empty 


fright 




follow 


alarm 


hide 


polite 




fearless 


residence 



Construct five sentences which shall contain five of the 
words in the first two columns, used correctly. 

Substitute for the words taken from the first two col- 
umns the synonyms taken from the third and fourth. 

Which synonyms have exactly the same meaning? 

Examples : The teacher made me a gift of a beautiful book. 

The teacher made me a present of a beautiful book. 

To the Teacher. — The object of this exercise is to teach that 
while synonyms have similar meanings, the meanings are not often 
exactly the same. 

LESSON CXLI. 
A LETTER. 



Fred to his Aunt Mary. 

Cold weather — a severe snowstorm — -streets blocked 
— no school. Made a snow man last week — tells how — 
size — eyes — nose — mouth — arms. Warm weather came 
on — snow man disappeared. 

Write Fred's letter in full. 

When and where is your letter dated? What is the 
"address"? What mark of punctuation follows the 
" address " ? What capital letters are used in the letter 
because they begin proper names? What capital letters 
are used because they begin sentences? 

What is the conclusion of your letter? What marks 
of punctuation besides periods have you used ? 



118 



STORY FROM PICTURE. 



LESSON CXLII. 
STORY FROM PICTURE. 

(Oral and then "Written.) 




Suggestions. 

Describe the picture ; that is, tell exactly what you see 
in it. 

Describe the inside of the house as you imagine it, and 
the family of which you see a part. 

Give a history of the family, or a story suggested by the 
picture. 

Every person in the picture must have a name, and also 
a place in your story. 



COMPOSITION. 119 

LESSON CXLIII. 

COMPOSITION. 

Read the following poem, and then write a composition 
telling what you think of the lesson it conveys : — 

Say No. 

Dare to say " No " when you're tempted to drink. 
Pause for a moment, my brave boy, and think ; 
Think of the wrecks upon life's ocean tossed, 
For answering " Yes " without counting the cost. 

Think of the mother who bore you in pain, 
Think of the tears that will soon fall like rain, 
Think of the heart and how cruel the blow, 
Think of her love, and at once answer " No." 

Think of the hopes that are drowned in the bowl, 
Think of the danger to body and soul, 
Think of sad lives once as pure as the snow ; 
Look at them now, and at once answer " No." 

Think too of manhood with rum-tainted breath, 
Think of its end and the terrible death. 
Think of the homes that, now shadowed with woe, 
Might have been heaven had the answer been " No." 

Think of lone graves both unwept and unknown, 
Hiding fond hopes that were fair as your own. 
Think of proud forms, now forever laid low, 
That still might be here had they learned to say " No." 

Think of the demon that lurks in the bowl, 

Driving to ruin both body and soul. 

Think of all this as life's journey you go. 

And when you're assailed by the tempter, say " No." 



120 



A LETTER. 



LESSON CXLIV. 

PRONUNCIATION EXERCISE. 

Pronounce the following words according to the 
marking : — 



kept 


sev'en 


tas'sel 


laun'dry 


swept 


tow'ard 


par tic'u lar 


slept 


ti'ny 


sup pose' 


danc'ing 


toss'ing 


ci'pher 


mas'sive 


bro'ken 


de fine' 


de gree' 


em brace' 



Name the vowel sound in each syllable. 

Show clearly the meaning of each word by using it 
in a sentence. 

Review all the exercises in pronunciation that pre- 
cede this one. 



LESSON CXLV. 



A LETTER. 



Aunt Mary to Fred. 

Was glad to receive a letter from him — surprised 
to find that he could write so well — thinks he must 
be a big boy and a good scholar — wants to know about 
the school he attends, and about his teacher. Tells him 
of a great snowstorm some years ago — was obliged to 
walk two miles through the snow — thinks she looked 
like a snow woman. She is glad that Fred is enjoying the 
winter. 

Write Aunt Mary's letter in full. 



WORDS OFTEN MISUSED. 121 

LESSON CXLVI. 
WORDS OFTEN MISUSED. 

Meal for very. 

Real and very have meanings quite unlike. The fol- 
lowing sentence shows the correct use of the words : — 

Example : Mrs. Ray wears a real diamond, and she is very proud 
of it. 

Don't for doesn't. 

Write, in sentences, the words for which these con- 
tractions stand, beginning as follows : — 

You do not . Charles does not . I do not . 

He does . The boys . The boy . 

Substitute the contractions in your sentences, and you 
will see their proper use. 

Guess for think. 

In the following sentences guess and think are correctly- 
used : — 

Examples: I may guess what is in your closed hand. 
Blindfolded, I may guess who touched me. 
If the clouds look dark, I think it will rain. 
It is so cold that I think there will be frost to-night. 

Complete the following sentences : — 

what is in my pocket. Shall I be late at school? I you 

will, as it is almost nine. How tall am I? I you are four feet 

ten inches. 

Save got for have or has. 

Have got means have obtained. Have when used alone 
implies ownership or possession. 

We need to use have got or has got very rarely. We use 
have and has frequently. 



122 COMBINATION OF STATEMENTS. 

LESSON CXLVn. 

REPRODUCTION. 

Barbara Frietchie. 

Read carefully Whittier's poem, Barbara Frietchie. 

Think of the situation of Frederick among the 
Maryland mountains, of the season of the year, of the 
appearance of the great army approaching the town, and 
of the story of the poem. 

Write the story in your own words. 

LESSON CXLVni. 

COMBINATION OF STATEMENTS.' 

Two or more statements may be combined into one 
sentence, as follows : — 

Statements. 

Jessie Brown found a diamond ring. 

She was on her way to school. 

The ring had been dropped into the mud. 

Combined. 

On her way to school, Jessie Brown found a diamond ring which 
had been dropped into the mud. 

Exercise. 
Combine each of the following groups of sentences into 
one sentence : — 

1. Baby Maud has fully recovered her health. 
She has been very sick. 

2. Our schoolhouse has been rebuilt. 
It was burned down. 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 123 

3. The birds will return in the spring. 
They go south every autumn. 

4. Boston is the largest city in Xew England. 
It is the capital of Massachusetts. 

It is the metropolis of Massachusetts. 

5. President Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. 
He was in a theater at Washington. 

He died the next day. 

Write first two and then three sentences, similar to those 
above, that may be combined into one sentence. 



LESSON CXLIX. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 
Study and commit to memory the following poem : — 

The Children's Hour. 

Between the dark and the daylight, 
When the night is beginning to lower, 

Comes a pause in the day's occupations, 
That is known as the Children's Hour. 

I hear in the chamber above me 

The patter of little feet, 
The sound of a door that is opened, 

And voices, soft and sweet. 

From my study I see in the lamplight, 

Descending the broad hall stair, 
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra, 

And Edith with golden hair. 

A whisper, and then a silence : 

Yet I know by their merry eyes 
They are plotting and planning together 

To take me by surprise. 



124 REPRODUCTION. 

A sudden rush from the stairway, 

A sudden raid from the hall ! 
By three doors left unguarded 

They enter my castle wall ! 

They climb up into my turret 

O'er the arms and back of my chair ; 

If I try to escape, they surround me ; 
They seem to be everywhere. 

They almost devour me with kisses, 

Their arms about me entwine, 
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen 

In his Mouse Tower on the Rhine ! 

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti, 

Because you have scaled the wall, 
Such an old mustache as I am 

Is not a match for you all? 

I have you fast in my fortress, 

And will not let you depart, 
But put you down into the dungeon 

In the round-tower of my heart. 

And there will I keep you forever, 

Yes, forever and a day, 
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin, 

And molder in dust away ! 

— Henry W. Longfellow. 

LESSON CL. 
REPRODUCTION. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Write the story of The Children's Hour in your own 
words. 

Tell what you think of Longfellow's home life, and 
of his love for children. Read his other poems: Paul 
Reveres Ride and The Village Blacksmith. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

LESSON CLI. 

CONVERSATION EXERCISE. 




WSmm^k 



Cold Countries. 

Describe the foregoing picture, telling about every 
kind of object represented. 

Find out from your Geography and other books, about 
the coldest countries — their direction from us, the 
animals that live there, the houses, food, and occupations 
of the people. 

To the Teacher. — Teachers will find in geography an abundance 
of material for language lessons. The exercises given in this book are 
very simple, but they furnish opportunities for pupils to use language in- 
telligently in connection with subjects made familiar through their daily 
school lessons. Teachers can easily multiply such exercises. 
125 



126 SOUNDS OF LETTERS. 

LESSON CLII. 
CONVERSATION EXERCISE. 

Cold Countries (continued). 

Describe the interior of one of the houses, as you 
imagine it in the evening. 

Tell about the seasons in these countries, and about 
day and night. 

What have you read of explorers who have found out 
about cold countries ? 

LESSON CLin. 
COMPOSITION. 
Arrange topics, and write about cold countries. 

LESSON CLIV. 
SOUNDS OF LETTERS. 

The sounds of the vowels in the words sir, her, fur, are 
exactly alike. They are marked thus : — I, e, ii. 

Place a mark over each vowel in these words : thirsty, 
burning, prefer, urgent, term, third. 

In the following words, how many different sounds has 
th? — thee, thin, thus, thick, with, breath, smooth, broth. In 
which words is the sound of th vocal ? 

When th has a vocal sound, it is marked thus : — th. 
Otherwise it is not marked. In which of the foregoing 
words should th be marked to indicate the pronunciation ? 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 127 

Exercise. 
Indicate the pronunciation of the following words by 
marking all the letters you can : — 

mark this rise rove cure 

give trap gem ask scene 

bulb stop roof curve foot 

move fruit wolf stir term 

LESSON CLV. 

PRONUNCIATION. 

Pronounce the words below according to the mark- 
ing : — 

asked «lothe§ cran' berry 

at tacked' creek €our' te ous 

a' ny bod y (a = e) drain sur prise' 

«a mel' o piird draught (gh = f ) ge og' ra phy 

Copy the words, and mark them for pronunciation with- 
out the aid of the book. Use each word in a sentence. 

LESSON CLVI. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Read the following poem and commit it to memory : — 

The Wonderful World. 

Great, wide, wonderful, beautiful world, 
With the beautiful water above you curled, 
And the wonderful grass upon your breast — 
World, you are beautifully dressed ! 

The wonderful air is over me, 
And the wonderful wind is shaking the tree; 
It walks on the water and whirls the mills, 
And talks to itself on the top of the hills. 



128 INFORMATION EXERCISE. 

Yon friendly earth, how far do you go, 
With wheat fields that nod, and rivers that flow, 
And cities and gardens, and oceans and isles, 
And people upon you for thousands of miles ? 

Ah, you are so great and I am so small, 

I hardly can think of you, world, at all ; 

And yet, when I said my prayers to-day, 

A whisper within me seemed to say : 

"You are more than the earth, though you're such a dot ; 

You can love and think, and the world cannot." 

LESSON CLVII. 

INFORMATION EXERCISE. 

The Ant. 

The ant is a very industrious little insect, and a very skillful work- 
man. There are many different kinds of ants. Some of them make 
their homes above ground, of grass, wheat stalks, sand, etc., and 
others burrow in wood or clay, making galleries and chambers. 

Among ants there are males, females, and workers, just as among 
bees. The males and females have wings for a short time. The 
workers take good care of the eggs, and carry them from one chamber 
to another, according to the amount of heat desired. 

When the little white grubs are hatched, they are as helpless as 
the bee grubs, and have to be fed and taken care of until old enough 
to spin cocoons. At the proper time, the workers cut open these 
cocoons with their jaws and let the little ants out. 

Some species of ants have a strange way of going out in great 
swarms to capture the eggs and cocoons of other tribes of ants. 
These they carry to their own colonies to hatch, and then make life- 
long slaves of them. 

Topics for Study and Conversation. 
The ant, an insect — different kinds — their homes. 
Compare the a7its and the bees. 
Duties of the workers — care of the grubs. 
Cocoons. Slave hunters. 



WHO OR WHOM. 129 

LESSON CLVIII. 

COMPOSITION. 

Arrange notes for a composition on ants, and then write 
a full account of them. 

LESSON CLIX. 
WHO OR WHOM. 
Oral Exercise. 
Use who or whom in each of the following questions : — 

1. is coming into the house with father? 

2. To did you give the knife ? 

3. do you see on the platform ? 

4. With were you playing ? 

5. From did you receive your new shoes ? 

6. - — - will come with me to the woods ? 

Ask questions which the following sentences might 
answer, using who or whom in each : — 

7. I came to school with Mary. 

8. Charles bought the apple for the baby. 

9. James lent his pencil to his sister. 

10. I saw Henry Maple. 

11. We did not hear anybody. 

12. The baby loves his mother. 

13. Susie is standing by her uncle. 

Written Exercise. 

Write the questions for the foregoing answers. 
Write five questions of your own, using the word whom, 
and write the answer after each question. 
9 



130 A LETTER. 

LESSON CLX. 

A LETTER. 

Read the letter below, make notes, and write an answer 
to Cousin May : — 

Paxtox, III., Oct. 14, 1893. 
My Dear Cousin, — 

As I sit at my window writing, I am thinking that you, who live 
so many miles away among the hills of New England, may never 
have seen one of these vast western prairies. 

Can you imagine a whole township of land, yes, many townships, 
perhaps, as level as the floor in your father's barn, and entirely desti- 
tute of trees, and even of shrubs? Well, our prairies in this neighbor- 
hood seem perfectly flat, and there is not a tree to be seen except now 
and then a few which have been planted by the settlers to give shade 
to cattle or to serve as a wind-break. Even stones are seldom found, 
and one may travel many a mile without seeing even a pebble in 
the black soil of our dusty roads. 

I have been told that these prairies were once under water, — : that 
they were the beds of great seas ; but I am not wise enough really to 
know whether these sayings are true or not. I do know, however, 
that you would like to see these great plains, which must look so 
much like the vast ocean of which you speak. Some of the western 
prairies are called rolling prairies, because they look like the sea when 
it is in motion. I have seen such prairies myself, many miles away, 
in another state. 

Sometime I will tell you about the wheat, corn, rye, and oats that 
grow here ; but I forget — you must have learned about these things 
in your Geography. 

Well, dear cousin, if I have told you nothing but what you knew 
before, at least I have kept my promise to write you a long letter. 
Now, please write me all about your home, which must be very 
different from mine. 

Your loving cousin, 

May. 



THE COMMA. 131 

LESSON CLXI. 
THE COMMA. 

You have already been required to use the comma in 
the heading, salutation, and close of letters. Please write 
a heading, a salutation, and a conclusion, and punctuate 
them correctly. 

Notice the use of the comma in the following sen- 
tences : — 

1. Mother, I cannot tell you what has become of the horse. 

2. I cannot tell you what has become of the horse, mother. 

3. I cannot tell you, mother, what has become of the horse. 

You will see that the word mother, which denotes ad- 
dress, is set off by one or two commas in each sentence. 

1. James, Charles, and Henry gathered apples, pears, and grapes. 

2. A kitten likes to run, jump, and play. 

In these sentences, the comma is used to separate words 
forming a series. Point out the series in the first sentence ; 
in the second. 

Exercise. 

Copy the following sentences, using the comma where 
required: — 

1. Where were you Nellie ? 

2. Corn wheat oats and rye are called grain. 

3. Jamestown Ya. June 16 1888. 

4. I tried to find you Miss Johnson but I could not. 

5. We read write sing and recite at school. 

6. Yours sincerely James Graham. 

7. John was Washington Irving an American ? 

8. Poetry refines purifies and elevates the mind. 

9. What has become of your top James V 



132 VERB FORMS. 

LESSON CLXII. 
REPRODUCTION. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Read the Wreck of the Hesperus, by II. W. Longfellow, 
and try to understand it. 

Write the story without using direct quotations. 



LESSON CLXIII. 
VERB FORMS. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Name four other words suggested by each of the follow- 
ing : go, give, draw, fig, forget, blow, break, choose, thrive, 
shake. 

go goes going went gone 

give % 

draw 

fly 

forget 

blow 

break 

choose 

thrive 

shake 

You will probably write and use the first three words of 
each set correctly, provided you know how to spell them. 

Recollect that have, has, had, be, is, was, are, were, being, 
been, should never be used before the fourth word. 

Use the fourth and fifth words of each set in sentences. 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 133 

LESSON CLXIV. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Read and commit to memory the following poem : — 

Little Brown Hands. 

They drive home the cows from the pasture, 

Up through the long shady lane, 
Where the quail whistles loud in the wheat fields, 

That are yellow with ripening grain. 
They find, in the thick waving grasses, 

Where the scarlet-lipped strawberry grows. 
They gather the earliest snowdrops, 

And the first crimson buds of the rose. 

They toss the new hay in the meadow ; 

They gather the elder-bloom white ; 
They find where the dusky grapes purple 

In the soft tinted October light. 
They know where the apples hang ripest, 

And are sweeter than Italy's wines ; 
They know where the fruit hangs the thickest 

On the long, thorny blackberry vines. 

They gather the delicate seaweeds, 

And build tiny castles of sand ; 
They pick up the beautiful seashells, — 

Fairy barks that have drifted to land. 
They wave from the tall, rocking tree-tops 

Where the oriole's hammock-nest swings ; 
And at nighttime are folded in slumber 

By a song that a fond mother sings. 

Those who toil bravely are strongest ; 

The humble and poor become great ; 
And so from these brown-handed children 

Shall grow mighty rulers of state. 
The pen of the author and statesman, — 

The noble and wise of the land, — 
The sword, and the chisel, and palette 

Shall be held in the little brown hand. 



134 



INFORMATION EXERCISE. 



LESSON CLXV. 

INFORMATION EXERCISE. 

The Beaver. 

'The beaver is found in North America and in the Old World. In 
the winter, five or six of these animals live together as a family, in a 
house built in the water, of sticks, mud, and stones. These houses 
are round on top, and the entrance is under water. 




The beaver spends a great part of its 
life in the water, and is always found 
near the banks of some stream or lake. 
His hind paws are webbed, like those 
of a duck or swan, so that they form 
paddles with which the animal pushes 
itself along when in the water. 

If the stream is too shallow, so that the entrance to the house 
might be closed in the winter by the ice, the beavers living near first 
build a dam at some suitable place in the stream. For this purpose, 



REVIEW. 135 

in the latter part of summer, they cut down trees with their sharp 
teeth, and float the trunks down the stream to the place selected for 
the dam. These are then sunk to the bottom by means of stones. 
More trees are then added, until the dam is high enough to answer 
the purpose of the beavers. These trees, with branches and stones, 
are afterward firmly plastered together with mud. 

The houses are then built in the deep water above the dam. The 
walls of these houses, or lodges, as they are usually called, are very 
thick ; and as, in winter, the mud of which they are chiefly composed 
is frozen into a solid mass, the beavers have a safe refuge from all 
their enemies. 

Composition. 

Read the foregoing account of the beaver, and carefully 
study the picture. From these two sources you will learn 
something of the habits of this curious animal. Try to 
find from other sources something about his size, food, 
industry, manner of life, and his use to man. Find out, 
if you can, how and in what parts of this country he is 
trapped. Then prepare notes and write an orderly account 
of him. 

LESSON CLXVI. 
REVIEW. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Note carefully how each of the following nouns is 
printed : horse's, child's, men's, wife's, colts', calves', babies', 
birds', monkey's, mouse's, kittens', robin's. 

Tell whether the nouns are singular or plural. 

Tell how each noun should be written in the other 
number. 

Use each noun in a written sentence. 

Rewrite each sentence, changing the number of the 
noun which you are required to use. 



136 



SYXOXYMS. 



LESSON CLXVII. 



SYXOXYMS. 



Each word in the first two columns has a synonym in 
the third or the fourth column. 



get 


brave 


assist 


gladden 


aid 


wish 


procure 


want 


please 


see 


gladness 


behold 


mirth 


great 


merry 


large 


gay 


aged 


bold 


old 


tell 


error 


narrate 


mistake 


task 


build 


work 


erect 



Arrange the synonyms in pairs and use each word in 
a sentence. 



Exercise. 

For the word in Italics in each of the following sen- 
tences, substitute its synonym; and tell whether it may 
properly be used. 

1. With money one can get power, but not love. 

2. A boy may do much to aid his mother. 

3. It will please your teacher if you say " Good morning." 

4. The monkey caused great mirth in school. 

5. A gay company of girls just went by. 

6. The captain likes to tell his adventures to the children. 

7. A brave boy will always tell the truth. 

8. The prisoner made a bold attempt to escape, and the officer was 
obliged to procure assistance. 

9. I wish to go out with you. 

10. Longfellow was a great poet. 

11. This aged man is hale and hearty. 

To the Teacher. — This exercise is designed to show that syno- 
nyms, though similar in meaning, are not always interchangeable. 



COMBINATION OF STATEMENTS. 137 

LESSON CLXVIII. 
COMBINATION" OF STATEMENTS. 
Combine the following sentences, as in Lesson CXLVIII. 

1. Frank Day has a beautiful pony. 

The pony was given to Frank last Christmas. 

2. Our school had a pleasant time at the picnic. 
The picnic was near a small lake. 

The picnic was held in a grove. 
The grove was of pine trees. 

3. Benjamin Harrison was President of the United States. 
Mr. Harrison's home is in Indianapolis, Ind. 

4. A noble dog saw a child in the water. 
The dog sprang into the water. 

The dog brought the child safely to shore. 

5. London is the largest city in the world. 
London is the capital of England. 
London is situated on the Thames River. 

6. George Washington was the first President of the United States. 
George Washington is often called " The Father of his Coun- 
try." 

7. Chicago is situated on Lake Michigan. 
Chicago is the largest city in Illinois. 

Chicago is the greatest grain market in the world. 

8. A large part of Illinois consists of prairie land. 
Much of this prairie land is very level. 

The prairie land is fertile. 

9. The eastern shores of Massachusetts are washed by Massachu- 

setts Bay. 
Massachusetts is often called " The Old Bay State." 

Write two sentences and combine them into one. 
Write three sentences -and combine them into one. 



138 MEMORY EXERCISE. 

LESSON CLXIX. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Read and commit to memory the following poem : — 

Nobody's Child. 

Only a newsboy, under the light 

Of the lamp-post plying his trade in vain ; 

Men are too busy to stop to-night, 

Hurrying home through the sleet and rain. 

Never since dark a paper sold ; 

Where shall he sleep, or how be fed ? 
He thinks as he shivers there in the cold, 

While happy children are safe abed. 

Is it strange if he turns about 

With angry words, then comes to blows, 

When his little neighbor, just sold out, 
Tossing his pennies, past him goes ? 

" Stop ! " — some one looks at him, sweet and mild, 
And the voice that speaks is a tender one. 

" You should not strike such a little child, 

And you should not use such words, my son ! " 

Is it his anger or his fears 

That have hushed his voice and stopped his arm? 
" Don't tremble," these are the words he hears ; 

" Do you think that I would do you harm ? " 

" It isn't that," and the hand drops down ; 

" I wouldn't care for kicks and blows ; 
But nobody ever called me son, 

Because I'm nobody's child, I s'pose." 

O men ! as ye careless pass along, 

Remember the love that has cared for you; 

And blush for the awful shame and wrong 
Of a world where such a thing could be true ! 

— Phozbe Cary. 



CHAPTER IX. 

LESSON CLXX. 
CONVERSATION EXERCISE. 




Warm Countries. 

Examine very carefully the picture at the head of 
this chapter, describe it, and tell what it suggests to you. 

Learn, from your Geographies and from other books, 
all you can about warm countries — ■ their direction from 
us, the kind of people and the animals that live there, 
how the people live and dress, their houses, food, and 
occupations. 

Contrast the seasons, the day and night, and the 
vegetation of very cold countries, with those of very 
warm countries. 

130 



140 LETTER WRITING. 

Imagine a journey and its difficulties, in the hottest 
part of South America, and tell about your travels. 

Read books of travel giving accounts of life and 
adventures in Africa or in southern Asia. Such books 
may be found in almost any public or private library in 
the neighborhood. 

LESSON CLXXI. 
COMPOSITION. 

Write all that you have learned in Lesson CLXX. about 
warm countries, following the order of the topics below. 
Divide your composition into four paragraphs. 

1. Wet season ; dry season ; vegetation. 

2. People who live in Central America; in Africa; in 
India ; their food and clothing ; houses ; business. 

3. A journey through some hot country ; mode of 
travel ; disagreeable experiences ; camping out. 

4. Contrast some hot country with your own, showing 
why it is pleasanter to live here than there. 



LESSON CLXXII. 

LETTER WRITING. 

In preceding lessons } t ou have written letters from notes 
or suggestions given in the book. Of course, before }'OU 
can become a good letter writer, you must be able to 
write without the help of suggestions made by others. 

In this chapter you will be required to depend almost 
entirely upon yourself; but, after a little practice, you 



WORDS OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED. 141 

will find that you can write letters as good as those on 
which you received help. 

Below are the notes made by a boy who visited his 
grandfather in Rutland, Vt., in July, 1894. From these 
notes he wrote a letter to his mother. 

Notes. 

Arrival. Description of journey. Account of farm, 
cattle, horses, etc. Account of fishing-trip one cloudy 
day. How I helped grandfather about the farm. A little 
homesick ; shall return next week. 

Suppose it to be vacation, and that you are visiting 
relatives either in the city or country. 
Arrange notes for a letter to your father. 

LESSON CLXXIII. 

LETTER WRITING {continued). 

Prepare notes from which letters could be written on 
the following subjects : — 

1. A visit to the North in winter. 

2. An account of a picnic. 

3. A boating excursion, including an accident. 

LESSON CLXXIV. 

WORDS OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED. 

Note carefully the marking of each of the following 
words, and then pronounce each very distinctly : — 



ill' mond (/ is silent). 


a u nt 


mu ge' fim 


r&§p' ber ry (p is silent). 


brooch 


be neafh' 


Ar' ab 


just 


his' to ry 


Ar' a bic 


jaunt 


bur rah' 



142 DERIVATIVE WORDS. 

LESSON CLXXV. 
REPRODUCTION. 

(Oral and then Written.) 

Read the poem, The Leak in the Bike, by Phoebe Cary. 

Learn about dikes, and why they are needed. Why are 
they needed in Holland? 

From a second reading, make notes from which to 
write. Write the story. 

LESSON CLXXVI. 

DERIVATIVE WORDS. 

You will notice that the word form appears in each of 
the following words : — 



reform 


forming 


reformer 


inform 


formless 


information 


uniform 


formation 


deformity 



The word form is called the root of all of the other 
words because it is the most important part ; or it may be 
said that the other words are derived from the root word. 
Hence they are called derivative words, or derivatives. 

Each of the derivative words in the first column is 
formed by prefixing a syllable to the root word. The 
syllables thus used are called prefixes. 

The derivative words in the second column are made 
by placing syllables after the root word. Syllables so 
used are called affixes or suffixes. 

How are the derivatives in the third column formed ? 

Use in a sentence each of the words derived from form. 

To the Teacher. — Do not require children in this grade to give the 
meaning of the different prefixes and suffixes. 



INFORMATION EXERCISE. 



143 



LESSON CLXXVII. 
INFORMATION EXERCISE. 

Cotton. 

Cotton seed was planted as an experiment by some of the earliest 
settlers of the Southern States ; but the plant was little known, except 
as a garden ornament, until after the Revolution. 




About a 
hundred 
years 

the first 
sea - island cotton 
was raised on the 
coast of Georgia. 
The seeds were 
obtained from the 
Bahamas, having 
been introduced 
there from another 
group. 

The seed of the 

cotton is planted in March or April. The plants grow rapidly, and 
reach a height of from three to five feet. Later on, whoa the pale- 



144 DIVIDED QUOTATIONS. 

yellow flowers drop off, a triangular pod is left. Tins ripens daring 
the latter part of summer, and, bursting open, shows the white cotton, 
in which are hidden black or green seeds according to the variety. 
Cotton seed yields an oil which is sometimes used in place of olive oil. 

Topics for Study and Conversation. 

When and where was cotton first raised in this country ? 
Finest variety — where from — why so called. Planting 
seeds — blossom — pod, or boll. Cotton seeds — cotton 
gins — Eli Whitney. Uses of cotton — cotton clothing 
— cotton factories. 

LESSON CLXXVIII. 

COMPOSITION. 
Write about cotton, following the order of the Topics. 

LESSON CLXXIX. 

DIVIDED QUOTATIONS. 

Sometimes the words of a speaker or writer come 
between the parts of a quotation which he is making. 

Example ; " 'Twas yours," he said, " but now 'tis mine." 

Dictation Exercise. 

A humming-bird met a butterfly, and, being pleased with the 
beauty of his person and the glory of his wings, made an offer of 
perpetual friendship. 

" I cannot think of it," was the reply, " as you once spurned me, 
and called me a drawling dolt." 

"Impossible!" exclaimed the humming-bird, "I have always had 
the highest respect for such beautiful creatures as you." 

"Perhaps you have now," said the other, "but when you insulted 
me I was a caterpillar. So, let me give you a piece of advice. Never 
insult the humble, as they may some day become your superiors." 



VERB FORMS. 145 



LESSON CLXXX. 



QUOTATIONS (continued). 
(Oral and then Written.) 

Tell the meaning of the following words, selected from 
Lesson CLXXIX., and use each in a sentence : — 

person dolt drawling exclaimed advice 

glory reply perpetual respect humble 

offer spurned impossible insulted superiors 

Change the direct quotations in the Dictation Exercise 
to indirect quotations. 

Rewrite the entire dictation exercise, expressing the 
same thoughts without using any of the words whose 
meaning you have given, and using only indirect quota- 
tions. 

What synonyms have you used for any words in this 
exercise ? 

LESSON CLXXXI. 

VERB FORMS. 

Write four derivative words from each of the following 
root words : — shake, freeze, fall, see, write, grow. 

Examples: Shake, shakes, shaking, shook, shaken. 
Freeze, freezes, freezing, froze, frozen. 

After completing the five sets of words, notice how 
the second and third words in each set are made from the 
first. 

Use in a sentence the fourth word in each set. 

After what words is the fifth word generally used? 

Use in a sentence the last word in each set. 

Review Lesson CXXXV., in Chapter Six. 

10 



146 WOKDS OFTEN MISUSED. 

LESSON CLXXXII. 
A LETTER. 

Robert Austin lives in Providence, R.I., where he is 
attending the Oxford Grammar School. His cousin, 
George Eliot, lives in a country town in New Jersey. 
Robert is getting tired of school work, and is looking 
forward to vacation, when he hopes his cousin will visit 
him. So he writes to George, invites him to come, and 
suggests some of his plans for the vacation. 

Make notes from which Robert's letter could be 
written . 

Write Robert's letter in full. 

To the Teacher. — From the notes made by the class, select such as 
seem most suggestive, and write them on the blackboard. It may seem 
best to require all the pupils, at first, to write from the same notes. 

LESSON CLXXXIII. 
WORDS OFTEN MISUSED. 

Like for As. 

As is correctly used in the following sentences : — 

Examples: Try to write as I do. 

James is tall and straight, as his father was. 

Few worse errors in English can be made than to use 
like instead of as in such sentences as the foregoing. 

Exercise I. 
Complete each of the following sentences with like or 
as : — 

My brother looks me. 

I wish I could talk you do. 



SPELLING EXERCISE. 147 

Make two sentences, in each of which like shall be used 
correctly. 

Make two sentences, in each of which as shall be used 
correctly. 

Funny for odd or strange. 

The root of funny is fun. So, whatever is funny should 
tend to make us laugh. 

Exercise 2. 

Fill the blanks with the proper words. 

Uncle John told very stories to make us laugh. 

A camel is a looking animal. 

The man had a gait. 

Most for almost. 

Exercise 3. 

Supply the proper words in the following sentences : — 

boys like apples. 

We are there. 

all of us prefer to speak correctly. 

He said that he ^Yas wedl again. 



LESSON CLXXXIV. 

SPELLING EXERCISE. 

The following exercises will show you how to study a 
spelling lesson. You should prepare the lessons on your 
slate, or with paper and pencil. 



gut ter 
may or 
saloon 


attic 
pitch er 
bu reau 


car riage 
cof fee 
sir up 


gim let 
vel vet 
cam brie 


gar ret 


scis sors 


vin e gar 


cal i co 



Arrange the words alphabetically. Classify them as to 
syllables, and mark the accents. Use each word in a 
thoughtful sentence. 



148 



SYNONYMS. 



LESSON CLXXXV. 
SPELLING EXERCISE. 
Prepare the following exercise as in Lesson CLXXXIV. 



an gel 


stom ach 


writ ten 


birth day 


sail or 


fin ger 


in di rect 


doubt ful 


schol ar 


trou sers 


re al ly 


swin die 


mo ment 


stock ing 


mild ly 


cin n a m on 


tor pe do 


shoul der 


cush ion 


im ag ine 



(Oral.) 

"Which words are accented on the first syllable ? Which 
on the last syllable ? Which words are derivatives, and 
from what words are they derived? Use each word in 
a sentence. 



LESSON CLXXXVI. 

SYNONYMS. 

In the second column of words below, a synonym may 
be found for each word in the first column : — 



allow 

imitate 

feast 

detect 

consume 

border 

construct 

behavior 

expensive 

damage 

cheat 



costly 

injury 

deceive 

devour 

discover 

conduct 

banquet 

build 

edge 

mimic 

permit 



WORDS TO USE AFTER IS AND WAS. 149 

Write each word with its synonym. 
Use each word in the first list in a thoughtful sentence. 
In which of your sentences may the synonyms be sub- 
stituted without changing the meaning? 

Example: consume and devour are synonyms. 

A bear will consume a great deal of meat. 
A bear will devour a great deal of meat. 

A boy will sometimes consume much time in doing little work, but 
he will not devour the time. 



LESSON CLXXXVII. 
WORDS TO USE AFTER IS AND WAS. 

The following sentences are correct : — 

1. Was it he who spoke to me ? 

2. It was / who spoke to him. 

3. Is it she who is talking to us ? 

4. It is we who are talking to her. 

5. It is they who are to blame, and I blame them. 

Exercise. 

Complete the following sentences with one of these 
words : I, me, he, him, she, her, we, us, they, them : — 

1. Who is there ? It is . 

2. Is it that you wish to see ? 

3. I know it was because 1 saw . 

4. Do you think it was ? No, it was . 

5. It is ■ who were speaking to . 

6. Who is there? It is only . You need not be afraid of . 

7. That is my mother. I know it is . 1 hear calling. 

8. Father, was that you ? Yes, Charlie, it was . Come to . 

9. Who sang " Home, Sweet Home " ? It was and 

who sang it. 



150 MEMORY EXERCISE. 

LESSON CLXXXVIII. 
COMBINATION OF SENTENCES. 
Exercise. 
Combine the sentences in each set into one sentence : — 

1. Maine is the largest of the New England States. 
Maine is noted for its lumber. 

2. Portland is the largest city in Maine. 
Portland was the birthplace of Longfellow. 
Longfellow was a famous American poet. 

3. Washington served his country in the Revolution. 
Washington served his country as President. 
Washington retired to Mount Vernon. 

Mount Vernon is on the Potomac River. 

4. John Adams was the second President of the United States. 
John Adams was the father of John Quincy Adams. 

John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United 
States. 

LESSON CLXXXIX. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Road and commit to memory the following poem : — ■ 

Nobility. 

True worth is in being, not seeming, — 

In doing, each day that goes by, 
Some little good, — not in the dreaming 

Of great things to do by and by. 
For whatever men sa} r in blindness, 

And spite of the fancies of youth, 
There's nothing so kingly as kindness, 

And nothing so royal as truth. 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 151 

We get back our mete as we measure, 

We cannot do wrong and feel right, 
Nor can we give pain and gain pleasure, 

For justice avenges each slight. 
The air for the wing of the sparrow, 

The bush for the robin and wren, 
But alway the path that is narrow 

And straight, for the children of men. 

We cannot make bargains for blisses, 

Nor catch them like fishes in nets ; 
And sometimes the thing our life misses 

Helps more than the thing which it gets. 
For good lieth not in pursuing, 

Nor gaining of great nor of small ; 
But just in the doing, and doing 

As we would be done by, is all. 

Through envy, through malice, through hating. 

Against the world, early and late, 
No jot of our courage abating — 

Our part is to work and to wait. 
And slight is the sting of his trouble 

Whose winnings are less than his worth ; 
For he who is honest is noble, 

Whatever his fortunes or birth. 

— Alice Cary. 

Read the following poems selected from Alice Cary's writings : Old 
Maxims, Telling Fortunes, The Wise Fairy, Story of a Blackbird, Wait- 
ing for Something to Turn Up, Recipe for an Appetite, In the Dark. 



CHAPTER X. 

LESSON CXC. 
DESCRIPTION. 

You have already had considerable practice in writing 
compositions, and have learned something about the use 
of capital letters and punctuation marks. Some of your 
compositions have been called stories, some letters, and 
some reproductions. 

Sometimes you will be called upon to describe what 
you have seen ; and in order to do this well, you must 
notice very carefully everything that will be likely to 
interest those who read your description. 

The following base-ball notes may help you in the 
preparation of the next lesson. Study them carefully, 
and notice that they are so arranged as to suggest the 
number of paragraphs in the composition. 

Notes. 

A bright, sunshiny day. Saturday — no school. 

Our town boasts a famous "nine." The club that 
played with them to-day. How we went to the grounds. 
Rather hot and dusty. Incident. 

Play begins. Our boys have bad luck. How the 
crowd screamed and whistled! Luck changes. Our boys 
ahead by one run. Umpire unfair. Game a tie. 

Tenth inning decides it. Our boys beaten. The ride 
home. Better luck next time. 
152 



DERIVATIVES. 



153 



LESSON CXCI. 

NOTES FOR COMPOSITION. 
Make notes for a composition on each subject below: — 

1. A fishing excursion. 

2. My visit to a menagerie. 

3. My first attempt at skating. 

4. My first ride on a bicycle. 

Composition. 

From the four sets of notes, select one set, and write a 
full account of the subject. 

LESSON CXCII. 
DERIVATIVES. 



Oral Exercise. 



governor misgovern 

governing ungovernable 

government misgovernment 



governess 



governorship 



writer rewriting 

rewrite unwritten 

written rewritten 

writings writable 



Name the root word for each group of words. 
In each word, name the prefix or suffix, or both. 
Give the meaning of each word as nearly as you can. 



Written Exercise. 

Rewrite the words in each column, separating the root 
word from the prefixes and suffixes. 

Write sentences which will show that you know the 
meaning of the root words, and of all the words derived 
from them. 



154 



SUGGESTED STORIES. 



LESSON CXCIII. 

SUGGESTED STORIES. 

[Select only one for a lesson.] 




1. Write a story suggested by this picture of two chil- 
dren in a boat. The boat is floating down the harbor 
towards the sea. 

2. Think of a picture of a young lad sitting at the 
window of a residence near a schoolhouse. He is wrapped 
in a shawl, and looks pale and sickly. A vase of flowers 
stands upon a small table near the window. What story 
can you tell about this lad ? 

3. A boot is overheard telling its life story to an old 
cat lying on a rug before the fire. The boot has had a 
hard time of it, as it has been worn by a careless boy who 
loved play better than work. Tell the story that was 
poured into the old cat's ear. 



A LETTER. 155 

4. A piece of chalk lay on the teacher's table, in plain 
sight of the class, and for a whole day saw all that was 
going on. At night, after the pupils were dismissed, the 
chalk had a long talk with its neighbor, and told some 
strange things about the school in general and the be- 
havior of the pupils in particular. 

Write the story that the chalk told, and see if your 
classmates will enjoy it as well as the chalk's neighbor 
did. 

Under the direction of your teacher write your story 
on the blackboard, and correct all the faults as your class- 
mates point them out. 

Copy the corrected story on paper, and give it to your 
teacher. 

To the Teacher. — Only one or two compositions per day can 
be thus copied upon the blackboard and corrected. 



LESSON CXCIV. 

A LETTER. 

Suppose one of your classmates to be ill. He (or she) 
has been absent from school several weeks. Write such a 
letter to the absent pupil as you would like to receive 
under similar circumstances. Speak of your teacher and 
of the work of the class. Relate some interesting happen- 
ings that would probably interest and amuse your friend. 

Under the direction of your teacher, copy your let tor 
upon the blackboard, and then correct the errors as they 
are pointed out by your classmates. 

Rewrite the letter upon paper, and hand it, free from 
errors, to your teacher. 



156 QUOTATIONS. 

LESSON CXCV. 
THE REPLY. 

Write an answer to the letter in the preceding lesson. 
Tell of some of the pleasures of the sickroom — how very 
kind your mother and sisters have been; how brother 
Tom has even given up his play to read aloud to you 
from an interesting book. 

Speak of the doctor, and of the many friends who have 
called since you have been able to receive company. Show 
by your letter that even sick people may be cheerful and 
good-natured. 

LESSON CXCVI. 
QUOTATIONS. 

It is usual to make complete paragraphs of long quota- 
tions from books or letters. 

Double marks are generally used for a quotation; but 
single marks (' ') are used when one quotation occurs 
within another. 

When direct quotations are complete statements, they 
should begin with capital letters ; but if the quotation is 
an incomplete statement, the capital is frequently omitted. 

Dictation Exercise. 

1. It has been well said, "The tongue is a little member and boast- 
eth great things." 

2. " The question now is," said he, " how shall we know what are 
good books ? " 

3. " Be ready to come when I call you," said his mother. 

4. " The greatest of faults," says Carlyle, " is to be conscious of 
none." 



INFORMATION LESSON. 



157 



5. " On one occasion," says Whittier, " I was told that a foreigner 
had applied to my mother for lodging. ' What if a son of mine were 
in a strange land? ' she said to herself." 

Notice that the quotations are separated from the rest 
of the sentence by punctuation marks. 

LESSON CXCVII. 

INFORMATION LESSON. 

Frogs. 

Frogs lay their eggs in the water. Before the egg is many days 
old, it is hatched, and out comes an odd little thing with a large head, 
a long flat tail, and a wedge-shaped body. This is called a tadpole. 




For a few days it has a tuft of soft pink threads on each side of its 
head. These are the gills, which enable the tadpole to breathe in 
the water. It lives the life of a fish, and finds all its food in the 



158 NEIGHBORHOOD STUDY. 

water. But soon a wonderful change takes place ; its gills disappear, 
and lungs form in the chest. After this it can no longer breathe in 
the water, but must rise to the surface for air. 

Four legs gradually grow out, and at the same time the tail dis- 
appears. The animal is now a perfect frog, and spends its time 
partly on land and partly in the water. In winter it crawls into a 
hole and sleeps there until spring. 

A frog may produce a thousand eggs in a year, but very few eggs 
produce young ones that live to reach winter retreats. 

Topics for Study and Conversation. 

1. Eggs — where they are laid, color, size. 

2. Tadpoles — description, gills, head, body, tail. 

3. Describe the changes that take place. 

4. Tell how the frog swims — how it catches its food. 

5. Describe his winter quarters. 

To the Teacher. — Lessons in Natural History are of little value 
if unaccompanied by observation. 

LESSON CXCVIII. 
NEIGHBORHOOD STUDY. 
Topics for Conversation. 

1. Places one mile distant from your schoolhouse ; two 
miles ; five miles ; ten miles. 

2. Public conveyances — stages, horse cars, steam cars. 

3. Parts of the neighborhood that are level, hilly, moun- 
tainous. 

4. Water in the vicinity — brooks, rivers, ponds, lakes, 
and other waters with which they are connected. 

Composition. 
Write what you have learned by the preceding study, 
dividing your composition into four paragraphs. 



REPRODUCTION. 159 

LESSON CXCIX. 

VERB FORMS. 

The boy or girl who will give the following words close 
thought can learn their correct use in a few days. 



sit 


sits 


sitting 


sat 


sat 


set 


sets 


setting 


set 


set 


lie 


lies 


lying 


lay 


lain 


lay 


lays 


laying 


laid 


laid 



Exercise. 
Complete the following sentences with words chosen 
from the table above : — 

1. I the pointer on the table. It is there now. 

2. the chair on the floor, and down in it. I am in 

it, and have here an hour. 

3. Mary in bed this morning until eight o'clock. If she had 

there much longer she would have missed her breakfast. 

4. Where does the snow on the ground all the year ? 

5. I have still five minutes ; I cannot still any longer. 

6. The dog is near the fire. 

7. The baby her head on the dog, and there she now 

fast asleep. 

LESSON CC. 
REPRODUCTION. 

Read Holmes's Ballad of the Boston Tea Party. Learn 
all you can about the tw Old South " meetinghouse, and 
the famous meeting held there just before the "party." 
Also learn what you can about the " Indians," who they 
really Avere, and what they did. 

For a second lesson, make notes, and write an account 
of the incident unci the poem. 



160 WORDS OFTEN MISUSED. 

LESSON CCI. 
WORDS OFTEN MISUSED. 

Will for shall. 

In asking questions, will should not be used before I 
or we. 

Exercise I. 

Complete the following sentences with the proper 
word : — 

1. Where we go when school is out? 

2. I bring the book to you ? 

3. When the work is done, what I do? 

4. we ever learn to use shall correctly ? 

Can for may. 

May should be used either in asking or granting; per- 
mission. We can do what we have strength or ability to 
do. 

Exercise 2. 

Supply the proper word in the following sentences : — 

1. Mrs. Gray, I take your pencil for a moment? Certainly 

you . 

2. I should like to go home now ; I? 

3. I solve that problem ; you ? 

4. He go home, but you not. 

5. I jump across the brook. I do so, Alice? 

Construct three questions, showing the correct use of 
shall. 

Construct three questions, showing the correct use of 
may. 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 161 

LESSON CCII. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 

Read and commit to memory the following poem : — 

Abou Ben Adhem. 

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase) 
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace 
And saw, within the moonlight in his room, 
Making it rich and like a lily in bloom, 
An angel writing in a book of gold : 
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold. 
And to the Presence in the room he said, 
"What writest thou?" The vision raised its head, 
And with a look made of all sweet accord, 
Answer'd, " The names of those who love the Lord." 
"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so," 
Replied the Angel. Abou spoke more low, 
But cheerily still ; and said, " I pray thee then, 
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men." 

The angel wrote and vanished. The next night 
It came again with a great wakening light, 
And show'd the names whom love of God had bless'd, 
And lo ! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. 

— Leigh Hunt. 

Study and Conversation, 

1. Tell what the poet means by the following expres- 
sions : may his tribe increase; dream of peace ; the presence ; 
sweet accord; a great wakening light; whom love of God 
had blessed; Ben Adhem s name led all the rest. 

2. What do you think the poem means? 

3. Tell the story in your own words. 

11 



1G2 WORDS OFTEN MISUSED. 

LESSON CCIII. 

WHO AXD WHICH. 

Who is used in speaking of persons. Which i-s used in 
speaking of lower animals and things. 

Exercise I. 
Insert who or which, and such other words as may be 
necessary, after each Italicized word. 

Model. 

The tree is one hundred years old. 

The tree which stands on the corner is one hundred years old. 

1. It was General Grant. 4. I cut down the tree. 

2. My friend is now in New York. 5. The dog caught the rabbit. 

3. This lesson is very difficult. 6. The dog caught the rabbit. 

Exercise 2. 
Complete the following sentences : — 

1. My older brother whom . Do you know who ? 

2. I saw the man to whom . It was he who . 

LESSON CCIV. 

WORDS OFTEN MISUSED. 

Expect for suspect, suppose, or presume. 

Whenever expect is correctly used it refers to future 

time. 

Exercise I. 

Complete the following sentences with one of the words 

at the head of the lesson : — 

1. James's mother him to return at four p.m. to-morrow. 

2. I that he has returned already, as I saw a valise in the 

hall. 



WORDS OFTEN MISUSED. 163 

3. You have not watered the plants for a week ; I that they 

are all dead. 

4. Was Charles late at school this morning? Oh ! I so, he is 

almost always late. 

5. I that Alice has finished the painting. 

6. I him to tell me the truth, but I strongly that he has 

not done so. 

Use the words correctly in sentences of your own. 

Plenty for plentiful. 

The following sentences will show you the correct use 
of the two words : — 

We have had plenty of rain this summer. 
The rain this summer has been plentiful. 

Exercise 2. 
Complete the following sentences either with plenty or 
with plentiful: — 

1. Have you of money? 

2. No, money is never with me. 

3. Strawberries are cheap when they are — 

4. How the apples are this autumn! 

5. There is a supply of wheat there, and also of corn. 

Stop for stay, and stopping for staying. 

To stop is to cease from motion. 
To stay is to remain. 

Exercise 3. 
Complete the following sentences with stop, stay, etc. : — 

1. The train will at the station, and will there two 

hours. 

2. George has been at his uncle's nearly all winter. 

3. Do not on your way east, as you will wish to with 

me a long time in Boston. 

4. If you do not that noise, T shall not here with you. 



164 DERIVATIVES. 

LESSON CCV. 
NEIGHBORHOOD STUDY. 
Topics for Conversation. 

1. Vegetables, including trees — kinds and uses. 

2. Wild flowers — names and description. 

3. Business of the people — farming, different kinds of 
manufactures, trade or commerce. 

4. Beautiful scenery — describe it ; tell in what its 
beauty consists. 

5. Public buildings or other works of art, such as 
monuments, statues, etc. 

To the Teacher. — It may be necessary to divide such lessons as 
this into two or three parts, in order to give the pupils more time to 
investigate the different subjects. 

LESSON CCVI. 

COMPOSITION. 

Write upon one or more of the topics given in the pre- 
ceding lesson, giving a full and interesting account of 
what you have learned and how you learned it. 

LESSON CCVII. 

DERIVATIVES. 

First, tell from what root word each word below is 
derived, and then use the root word in a sentence. 



broken 


gone 


frozen 


blown 


done 


given 


fallen 


shaken 


bitten 


drawn 


seen 


spoken 


eaten 


flown 


written 


stolen 


driven 


forgotten 


grown 


taken 



WORDS OFTEN MISUSED. 165 

Notice that the words all end in n or the sound of n. Use 
the word have with every one. Name the five forms of 
which each word in the list is one. (See Lesson CLXXXI.) 

LESSON CCVIII. 
HISTORICAL LETTER. 

Read the story of the battle of Lexington. Form in 
your mind a picture of the route from Boston to Lexing- 
ton which was followed by the British. Picture the 
farmhouses on the route ; the country people leaving 
their work to watch the soldiers ; the men and older 
boys taking their guns and following through the woods 
and fields; the scene on Lexington Common; the de- 
struction of the stores in Concord ; the retreat to Boston ; 
the Americans hiding behind walls, trees, and houses, and 
firing upon the British soldiers. Also read Bryant's stir- 
ring poem, Seventy -Six, Holmes's Lexington, and Longfel- 
low's Paul Revere 's Ride. Then prepare notes for a letter. 

Suppose you were living near Lexington on the 19th of 
April, 1775, and saw all that has been described to you in 
the story of the battle of Lexington. Write a letter to 
your cousin living in England, and give an account of 
what you saw and heard on that memorable day 

LESSON CCIX. 
WORDS OFTEN MISUSED. 

Some for somewhat. 

The following sentences indicate the correct use of some 
and somewhat : — 

Some of the boys are very noisy to-day. 
My father is somewhat better this morning. 



166 WORDS OFTEN MISUSED. 



Complete the following sentences by inserting some or 
someivhat: — 

You came to church late last Sunday. 

Is that boy tired ? No, but he is lazy. 

Quantity for number. 

We should use number in speaking of things that may 
be counted ; as, a number of sheep, a number of cattle. 
We say, a quantity of oats, a quantity of hay. 

Exercise 2. 
Use the word number in three different sentences. 
Use quantity in three different sentences. 

Only. 

The difficulty in using only arises from not knowing 
where to place it in a sentence. 

Exercise 3. 
Notice and explain the different meanings conveyed by 
the word only in the following sentences : — 

1. Only the boy snatched the apple. 

2. The boy only snatched the apple. 

3. The boy snatched only the apple. 

Exercise 4. 

In the following sentences use only in as many different 
places as possible, and explain the changes in meaning : — 

1. My sister read the Bible this morning. 

2. Little George hit his brother in the eye. 

3. Boys and girls whisper in school. 



DICTATION. 167 

LESSON OCX. 

ADVERTISEMENTS. 

1. Write an advertisement for a situation as book- 
keeper in some large store. State your qualifications 
and give references. 

2. Write such an answer to your advertisement as you 
would like to receive. 

3. Advertise the loss of a watch, giving some particu- 
lars, and offering a reward. 

4. Write an advertisement, stating that you have found 
a watch which the owner can have by proving property 
and paying charges. 

LESSON CCXI. 

DICTATION. 
Exercise. 

After writing the following proverbs from dictation, tell 
their meaning in your own words : — 

1. The sleep of the laboring man is sweet. 

2. The borrower is servant to the lender. 

3. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. 

I. The wicked flee when no man pursueth. 

5. Give me neither poverty nor riches. 

6. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth. 

7. Think much, write little, speak less. 

8. Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom. 
J). Be not righteous overmuch. 

10. Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after 
many days. 

11. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 



168 HISTORICAL LETTER. 

12. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, ... at the last 
it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 

13. A wise son maketh a glad father. 

14. A soft answer turneth away wrath. 



LESSON CCXII. 
LETTERS AND NOTES. 

1. Write a letter of recommendation for a personal 
friend. 

2. Write an application for a position as teacher in a 
neighboring town. 

3. Write a note of thanks for some favor received. 

4. Write to a friend, extending an invitation to dine 
with you. 

LESSON CCXIII. 

HISTORICAL LETTER. 

Read from some good history the story of the landing 
of the Pilgrims, and read Bryant's poem, The Twenty- 
Second of December. Learn all you can of the May- 
flower, and some of the most noted persons who came 
in that vessel ; also read about their sufferings during 
the first winter. Finally, read The Courtship of Miles 
Standish. 

Afterwards make notes of what you have learned about 
the Pilgrims. 

Suppose yourself to have been one of the Pilgrims, and 
that you were one of the soldiers who fought under the 
leadership of Miles Standish. 

Write a letter to some friend in England, giving an 
account of your experiences. 



COMPOSITION. 169 

LESSON CCXIV. 

INFORMATION EXERCISE. 

Salt. 

1. You have how many kinds of salt before you? 
Examine them carefully. Do they look alike? How do 
they differ in appearance? Touch each kind to your 
tongue. Do they taste alike? 

2. What uses are made of salt at your home? Which 
kind is most commonly used? For what is the other kind 
used ? Why is it sometimes used on an icy sidewalk ? 

3. Mention some articles of food which would not 
taste well without salt. 

To the Teacher. — Each pupil should be supplied with some 
common salt, and also with a small piece of rock salt. For informa- 
tion, let the pupil consult the best encyclopedia at hand. 

Study. 

Find out what you can about the manufacture of com- 
mon salt. Also, read all you can find about salt springs 
and salt mines. 



LESSON CCXV. 
COMPOSITION. 

Write what you have learned about the different kinds 
of salt. Tell what salt is used for, how it is obtained, and 
where it is most abundantly found. 

Use the hints given in the preceding lesson, and divide 
your composition into paragraphs. 



170 



INFORMATION EXERCISE. 



LESSON CCXVI. 
INFORMATION EXERCISE. 

Wool. 

The thick, soft growth on the skin of a sheep is called wool. This 
wool, if left to itself, would drop off in summer, for the sheep has 
then no need of it to keep him warm. But instead of allowing it to 
drop off, men cut it off just in time to save it. The wool sheared or 




cut from a sheep is called & fleece. The fleeces are cleaned and then 
sent to a factory, where the wool is spun into thread, and then woven 
into cloth. 

Wool is obtained from other animals, such as the alpaca, cashmere 
goat, etc., but the sheep furnishes the greater part of that w T hich is 
used in making clothing. 

Topics for Study and Conversation. 

Wool, what kind of product ? 

Sheep, different kinds — some of the most valuable. 

Sheep-shearing — explain the process. 



MEMORY EXERCISE. 171 

Parts of our country where the most wool is produced. 

Other countries where wool is plentiful. 

How it is brought to this country. 

Woolen manufactures. Worsteds. 

Uses of wool and of woolen cloths. 

Describe what you see in the picture. 

In what parts of the year is most wool used for clothing ? 

Composition. 

Write from the topics all that you have learned about 
wool. 

LESSON CCXVII. 

MEMORY EXERCISE. 
Read and commit to memory the following poem : — 

To A Waterfowl. 

Whither, 'midst falling dew, 
While glow the heavens with the last steps of day, 
Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue 

Thy solitary way? 

Vainly the fowler's eye 
Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong, 
As, darkly painted on the crimson sky, 

Thy figure floats along. 

Seek'st thou the plashy brink 
Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide. 
Or where the rocking billows rise and sink 

On the chafed ocean side? 

There is a Power whose care 
Teaches thy way along that pathless coast, 
The desert and illimitable air, — 

Lone wandering, but not lost. 



172 MEMORY EXERCISE. 

All day thy wings have fanned, 
At that far height, the cold, thin atmosphere, 
Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land, 

Though the dark night is near. 

And soon that toil shall end ; 
Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest 
And scream among thy fellows ; reeds shall bend 

Soon o'er thy sheltered nest. 

Thou'rt gone, the abyss of heaven 
Hath swallow'd up thy form ; yet on my heart 
Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given, 

And shall not soon depart. 

He who, from zone to zone, 
Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight, 
In the long way that I must tread alone, 

Will lead my steps aright. 

— W. C. Bryant. 

Study and Conversation. 

1. What part of the day is referred to in the first 
stanza ? What reasons can yon give for your answer ? 
What is the author's thought in the last two lines of this 
stanza ? 

2. Show the connection of thought between the first 
and second stanza. 

3. In the third stanza, ask and answer three questions 
suggested by the poet. 

4. Give in your own words the meaning of the fourth 
stanza. 

5. What does the poet mean by the cold, thin atmosphere, 
in the fifth stanza ? 

6. Explain the meaning of the next three stanzas. 
What lesson is referred to in the last but one ? 



VERB FORMS. 173 

LESSON CCXVIII. 

CONVERSATION EXERCISE. 

Our Own Country. 

You have studied about cold countries, and also about 
warm countries. Now contrast our houses, our clothing, 
and our food, with the houses, clothing, and food of people 
living in cold countries, and also with those of people liv- 
ing in warm countries. 

Contrast our modes of traveling and our manufactures 
with those of cold and of warm countries. 

Give an account of any other advantages which you 
think we have over the people of those countries, and tell 
why you would rather live in our own country. 

Tell some of the advantages which the inhabitants of 
cold countries enjoy. Of warm countries. 

. Composition. 

Write about Our Own Country, and use as notes the 
hints found in the conversation exercise in Lesson 
CCXVIII. 

LESSON CCXIX. 

VERB FORMS. 

1. From each of the following root words foim a deriva- 
tive by adding s or es : — bring, begin, bloiv, come, catch. 

2. Form a derivative from each by adding ing. 

3. From each word form a derivative which may be 
used after have, has, or had. 

4. What derivative from each word might be used in 
telling an event that took place last week ? 

5. What are prefixes and suffixes ? Give examples. 



CHAPTER XI. 

LESSON CCXX. 

THOUGHTS, IDEAS, SENTENCES, WORDS. 
John caught a rabbit in his trap. 

The preceding group of words expresses a thought. The 
thought can neither be seen nor heard. We speak and 
write words. We think thoughts, and express them by" 
words. A word alone does not express a thought, but it 
suggests an idea. Thoughts are made of connected, or 
related, ideas. Sentences are made of words. 

Exercise. 

How many sentences are there in the exercise below ? 
Why are they sentences ? How many thoughts are 
expressed ? 

How many words are in the first sentence ? the second ? 
the third ? the fourth ? 

Point out the words in each sentence that do not sug- 
gest any idea to you. 

1. The poor man worked hard for his family. 

2. The squirrel builds his nest in a tree. 

3. Four new books lie on my table. 

4. The steamer Priscilla runs to New York. 

What does a sentence express ? Can you see the sen- 
tences above ? Can you see the thoughts ? Are there 
174 



THE SENTENCE. 175 

any sentences that you cannot see ? What do you call 
them ? Are the sentences that you can only hear, spoken 
or written sentences ? Of what are such sentences made ? 
Of what are spoken words made ? 

LESSON CCXXI. 

THE SENTENCE. 

A group of words expressing a complete thought is a 
sentence. 

Exercise I. 

Which of the following groups of words are sentences, 
and which are not ? Tell why. 

1. The rain is falling quietly. 4. Lo ! the poor Indian. 

2. Are you studying? 5. Winter has its pleasures. 

3. The road is very 6. Every question has 

Exercise 2. 
Which of the sentences below make statements ? Which 
ask questions ? Which express commands or make entrea- 
ties ? 

1. There is a tide in the affairs of men. 

2. Do the leaves fall before the fruit ripens? 

3. Give us, this day, our daily bread. 

4. How many times must you be told? 

5. The race is not always to the swift. 

Sentences that make statements are called declarative 
sentences ; those that ask questions are interrogative sen- 
tences ; those that express commands or make entreaties 
are imperative sentences. 

Declarative and imperative sentences should be followed 
by periods (.); an interrogative sentence should be fol- 
lowed by an interrogation mark (?). 



176 SUBJECT AND PREDICATE. 

Sentences sometimes express emotion or strong feeling ; 
as, How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood ! 

Such sentences are called exclamative, and should be fol- 
lowed by an exclamation point (!). 



LESSON CCXXII. 
SUBJECT AND PREDICATE. 
Exercise I. 
Make complete sentences of the following : — 

1. The robin redbreast . 

2. Two swans, all white as snow, . 

3. The wind . 

4. The faint old man . 

5. The apple trees . 

6. began the bloody battle. 

7. grew darker as the sun went down. 

8. is never at rest. 

9. is called a tyrant. 

10. are driven away. 

In each of the first five sentences above you have sup- 
plied the words that make an assertion. This part of a 
sentence is called the predicate. 

In the last five sentences you have supplied the words 
that tell of what the assertion is made. This part of a 
sentence is called the subject. 

The part of a sentence which represents and sometimes 
describes the thing of which something is asserted is the 
subject. 

The part of a sentence which makes an assertion is the 
predicate. 



INVERTED SENTENCES. 177 

LESSON CCXXIII. 

ANALYSIS. 

Exercise. 

My thoughts \ are my companions. 

In the exercise below, separate each subject from its 
predicate by a vertical line. 

Give the reason why one part of each sentence is the 
subject and the other the predicate. 

1. The full ripe corn bends in waves of golden light. 

2. Autumn fires burn fiercely in the forest. 

3. I saw old Autumn in the misty morn. 

4. Obedience is a part of religion. 

5. Almost everybody becomes a reader in our age. 

The word which names the person or thing of which an 
assertion is made is called the simple subject. 
Point out the simple subject in each sentence. 

LESSON CCXXIV. 
INVERTED SENTENCES. 

When the subject of a sentence stands before the predi- 
cate, the sentence is said to be in its natural order. 

When the whole or a part of the predicate stands before 
the subject, the sentence is inverted. 

Example: Day by day the dead leaves fall and melt. 
The dead leaves fall and melt day by day. 

Exercise. 
Rewrite each of the following sentences, placing the 
subject before the predicate. 



178 EXERCISE ON SENTENCES. 

Draw a vertical line between the subject and predicate. 
Point out the simple predicate in each sentence. 

1. All green and fair the summer lies. 

2. Deep in the forest arbutus doth hide. 

3. Night by night the blast wails in the trees. 

4. Again has come the springtime. 

5. To-day the spring is in the air and in the blood. 

6. To one tall-towered mill a long street climbs. 

7. Slow and sure comes up the golden year. 

8. Unto the pure all things are pure. 



LESSON CCXXV. 
EXERCISE ON SENTENCES. 

From the following lines, select as many good sentences 
as you can. 

Tell whether the sentences you have selected are declara- 
tive, interrogative, or imperative. 

Point out the subject of each declarative sentence, and 
tell why you think it is the subject. 

Point out the predicate of each declarative sentence, 
and tell why you think it is the predicate. 

What matter how the night behaved ? 
What matter how the north-wind raved? 
Blow high, blow low, not all the snow 
Could quench our hearth-fire's ruddy glow. 

We tread the paths their feet have worn, 

We sit beneath their orchard trees, 

We hear, like them, the hum of bees 
And rustle of the bladed corn. 

Clasp, Angel of the backward look, 
The brazen covers of thy book. 



Shut down and clasp the heavy lids= 



COMPELLATIVES. 179 

LESSON CCXXVI. 

ANALYSIS OF INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES. 

In an interrogative sentence, the arrangement of the 
subject and predicate is usually inverted. 

declarative. Each exercise | must be well ivritten. 
interrogative. Must | each exercise | be well written? 

In the declarative form, the subject generally stands 
first and the predicate second. 

In the interrogative form, a part of the predicate usually 
stands first, the subject second, and the rest of the pred- 
icate third. 

Before analyzing an interrogative sentence, therefore, it 
is well to change it to the declarative form. 

Exercise. 
Change the following sentences to the declarative form, 
and then separate the subject from the predicate : — 

1. Can gray hairs make folly venerable? 

2. Have I not had to wrestle with my lot ? 

3. Is it in heaven a crime to love too well ? 

4. Hast thou a charm to stay the morning star? 

5. What news do you bring us from the king? 

6. Did you not know his name ? 

LESSON CCXXVII. 
COMPELLATIVES. 

In the sentence, Annie ^ ivill you f/o to the post office 
for me? for what purpose is the word Annie used? 

Under what circumstances could you make the request 
without usino- Annie's name ? 



180 IMPERATIVE SENTENCES. 

Is the sentence interrogative or imperative ? 

What is the subject of the sentence ? the predicate ? 

As the name, Annie, is used to call, or compel, the 
attention of the person addressed, it may be called a 
compellative. As you have seen, it forms no part of the 
subject or predicate, but is entirely independent of the 
sentence. 

The compellative should be separated from the rest of 
the sentence by a comma or commas. 

Exercise. 

In each of the following sentences name the compella- 
tive. 

Point out the subject and the predicate. 

1. Gentlemen, have you agreed upon a verdict? 

2. Thou, O Lord, shalt endure forever. 

3. Mr. President, I have but a few words to say. 

4. Now, friend William, I will grant your request. 

5. Venerable men, you have come down to us from a former 
generation . 

6. Cassius, I am armed in honesty. 

7. O, Liberty ! my spirit felt thee there. 

8. Yes, social friend, I love thee well. 

9. Will you follow me, my brother ? 



LESSON CCXXVIII. 

IMPERATIVE SENTENCES. 

Imperative sentences are used in giving commands and 
in making entreaties. As such commands and entreaties 
are usually made to some one who is present, the name, or 
word standing for the name, of the one addressed is often 
omitted. If an imperative sentence contains a compella- 



USES OF WORDS IN SENTENCES. 181 

tive, the latter must not be confounded with the subject. 
The subject is usually either thou or you. 

Stand (thou) fast, lone sentinel of God, 
On proud Athena's noblest hill. 

In this sentence, thou (understood) is the subject, and 
lone sentinel of G-od is a compellative. 

Exercise. 

Analyze the following imperative sentences, and tell 
why each sentence is imperative. 

Name the subject and the predicate. Point out the 
compellative if there is one. 

1. Let not Ambition mock their useful toil. 

2. Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring. 

3. O gallant captain, show some pity 

To a lady in distress. 

4. Break, O Sea, on thy cold gray stones. 

5. Sail on, O Union, strong and great. 

LESSON CCXXIX. 

USES OF WORDS IN SENTENCES. 

Every word in a sentence has some use, and may be 
classified according to its use. 

The holly branch shone on the old oak wall. 

In this sentence the word holly tells the kind of branch ; 
branch tells what shone ; shone tells what the branch did ; 
on the old oak wall tells where the holly shone ; wall tells 
on what it shone ; old and oak tell the kind of Avail. 

To the Teacher. — For the present, omit the articles in such 
exercises. 



182 NOUNS. 

Exercise. 
Tell the use of each word in the following sentences : — 

1. There mountains rise, and circling oceans flow. 

2. Simple men admire studies, and wise men use them. 

3. The gleaming rushes lean a thousand ways. 
1. He hears the parson pray and preach. 

5. Never spend your money before you earn it. 

6. The price of wisdom is above rubies. 

LESSON CCXXX. 
NOUNS. 

The word noun means name. 

New York is a large city. 

In this sentence, New York is a noun because it is a 
name. The word city is also a noun because it is a name. 

A word, or a group of words, used as a name, is called a noun. 

Exercise. 

Point out the nouns in the following sentences, and 
tell why they are nouns : — 

1. Rip Van Winkle entered the house. 

2. Dame Van Winkle had always kept it in good order. 

3. The lonely chambers rang for a moment with his voice. 

4. A large wooden building stood in its place. 

A noun that denotes but one object is said to be in the 
singular number ; as, man, boy, horse, tree, mouse. 

A noun that denotes two or more objects is said to be 
in the plural number ; as, men, boys, horses, trees, mice. 



PROPER NOUNS AND COMMON NOUNS. 183 

LESSON CCXXXI. 
PROPER NOUNS AND COMMON NOUNS. 

If we speak of Mary, or George Washington, we mean 
some particular person. But when we use the word man 
or paper, we use a word that may apply to any one of a 
great number of persons or of things of the same sort. 

Names that refer to some particular person, place, or 
thing are called proper nouns ; as, Mary, George Washing- 
ton, St. Stephen's Church. 

Names that refer to classes of persons or things are 
called common nouns ; as, man, boy, ocean, teacher, paper, 
ink, pen, island. 

Exercise I. 

PROPER NOUNS. COMMON NOUNS. 

George, Henry, Sinion boy, man 

Atlantic, Pacific, Indian ocean 

Place at the right of each group of words below, an 
appropriate class name, as in the examples above : — 

PROPER NOUNS. 

Sarah, Susan, Grace 
Connecticut, Amazon, Hudson 
Carlo, Bruno, Fido 
Columbia, Harvard, Yale 

Exercise 2. 

Place at the right of each common name some appro- 
priate proper name : — 



COMMON NOUNS. 






island boy 


city 


ocean 


friend nation 


river 


bay 



184 PRONOUNS. 

A proper noun must always begin with a capital letter. 
A common noun does not begin with a capital letter un- 
less it is the first word in a sentence, or is used in a title. 



LESSON CCXXXII. 
POSSESSION, OR OWNERSHIP. 

Nouns in the singular number are made to denote posses- 
sion, or ownership, by the addition of an apostrophe and 
5 ('s) ; as, Mary's hat, the boy's sled, the horse's ear. 

Nouns in the plural number that do not end in s are 
made to express ownership in the same way ; as, men's 
boots, children's dresses, the oxen's yoke. 

But if the plural noun ends in s, the apostrophe only is 
added ; as, boys' hats, cows' horns, mules' ears. 

Exercise I. 
Use the following nouns in sentences so that they will 
express ownership : — 



horse 


cow 


mule 


boy 


kitten 


bird 


girl 


cat 


calf 


woman 


man 


ox 


lady 


grocer 


gentleman 



Exercise 2. 
Use in sentences the plural number of the same nouns, 
and use them so that they will denote ownership. 



LESSON CCXXXIII. 
PRONOUNS. 



There are a few words that we often use instead of nouns. 
Thus in speaking of ourselves we use the words I, my, me, 
we, our, us. In speaking to a person, we say you, your, 



PRONOUNS. 185 

and sometimes thou, ye, thy, or thee. In speaking of per- 
sons or things we say he, she, it, his, her, its, they, their, 
them. 

These little words so often used are called pronouns, 
because pro-noun means for a noun. 

A word used instead of a noun is called a pronoun. 

It might sometimes be very awkward for us to use a 
person's name in speaking of him or to him, and more 
awkward still if we always had to call our names in speak- 
ing of ourselves. In speaking about James, we might be 
obliged to say : — 

James came to visit our school last week, and while here, 
James sat near the teacher. The teacher ashed James 
where James had been at school before, etc. 

The name for which a pronoun stands is called its 
antecedent. The antecedent of a pronoun is not always 
expressed. 

Rewrite the sentence just given about James, and use a 
pronoun instead of his name whenever it will sound better 
to do so. 

Exercise. 

In the following sentences, point out the pronouns, and 
tell which refer to one person or thing, and which to more 
than one. Which refer to a person who is speaking? 
Which to a person spoken to ? Which to a person or 
thing spoken of? 

1. I am writing. 6. I sold my watch. 

2. Did you speak to him ? 7. The book belongs to me. 

3. She is very young. 8. Did you buy them ? 

4. We played together. 9. The girls tore their gowns. 

5. He ran to get it. 10. Her lesson is very hard. 



186 PRONOUNS. 

LESSON CCXXXIV. 
PRONOUNS (continued). 

Like nouns, pronouns are in the singular number when 
they refer to but one person or thing. Those that denote 
more than one person or thing are in the plural number. 

Nouns and pronouns that denote the speaker are said to 
be in the first person. Those that denote the person 
spoken to are in the second person. Those that denote 
the person or thing spoken of are in the third person. 

Pronouns that show by their form (spelling) whether 
they are in the first, second, or third person, are called 
personal pronouns. 

List of Personal Pronouns (for Reference). 

SINGULAR. PLURAL. 

The speaker. \ 

First Person. J *' m ?' mlne » me ' ^ e ' our ' ours ' us ' 

The person spoken to. 1 

Second Person . ) Thou ' th ?> thme ' thee " Ye ' ^ ou ' J™ 1 ' y ours ' 
The person or thing I He, his, him ; 

spoken of. > she, her, hers ; [ They, their, theirs, them. 

Third Person. J it, its. J 

Exercise. 

Name each pronoun in this exercise, and point out its 
antecedent. 

Point out the pronouns that have no antecedents ex- 
pressed. 

1. A wise man will make haste to forgive, because he knows the 
true value of time, and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary 
pain. 



COMPOUND PERSONAL PRONOUNS. 187 

2. That he was the author of the work we believe to have been 
the opinion of all his friends. 

3. Where is the true man's fatherland ? 
Is it where he by chance is born ? 

4. To him who in the love of nature holds 
Communion with her visible forms, she speaks 
A various language. 



LESSON CCXXXV. 
COMPOUND PERSONAL PRONOUNS. 

The syllable self (plural selves) is often added to a 
personal pronoun, thus forming what is called a compound 
personal pronoun ; as, myself themselves. 

Exercise I. 

Select from the list of personal pronouns on page 186 
those that will take the syllable self. 

Select from the same list those that will take the 
syllable selves. 

Exercise 2. 
From the following sentences, select the pronouns, and 
tell why they are pronouns. 

Point out the antecedents of the pronouns. 
What pronouns have no antecedents expressed? 
What pronouns are compound ? 

1. Who would be free, himself must strike the blow. 

2. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie. 

3. Why don't you speak for yourself, John ? 

4. He himself has said it. 

5. Help yourself and others will help you. 

6. Who gives himself with his alms feeds three ; 
Himself, his hungering neighbor, and me. 



188 ADJECTIVES. 

LESSON CCXXXVI. 

ADJECTIVES. 

It is sometimes necessary to point out or describe more 
fully the object which is named by a noun. For instance, 
instead of saying, Boys are picking cherries, I may wish to 
tell the number of boys, and so I say, Two boys are picking 
cherries. In describing a field, I may say, The beautiful, 
green field bordered the river bank. 

"Words used to point out more fully, or describe, the objects 
designated by nouns and pronouns, are called adjectives. 

Exercise. 

Those tall green trees in the pasture belong to old Mr. 
Brown. 

In this sentence, those points out the trees as distant, 
tall indicates their height, and green their color; while old 
shows us which Mr. Brown is meant. 

Point out the adjectives in the sentences below, and tell 
for what purpose each is used. 

1. The moon that once was round and full 
Is now a silver boat. 

2. And she was fair and very fair, 
Her beauty made me glad. 

3. The old man keeps in remembrance the happy days of his 
childhood. 

4. Tell us not, sir, that we are weak, unable to cope with so for- 
midable an adversary. 

5. The promises of Hope are sweeter than roses in the bud. 

6. Sweet are the uses of adversity, 
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, 
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head. 



ADJECTIVES. 189 

LESSON CCXXXVII. 

ADJECTIVES {continued). 

Adjectives expressing number, as, one, two, first, second, 
etc., are called numeral adjectives. 

Two men were in the wagon. 

In this sentence, the word two is a numeral adjective 
describing the noun men, by telling how many men there 
were. 

Adjectives made from proper names are called proper 
adjectives. 

Mrs. Lincoln has just returned from a European trip. 

In this sentence, European is an adjective describing 
the noun trip. It is a proper adjective because it is made 
from the proper noun Europe. 

A proper adjective must always begin with a capital 
letter. 

Exercise. 

In the following sentences, select all the adjectives, and 
tell why they are adjectives. Tell how each adjective 
describes the noun to which it refers. 

Which are numeral adjectives, and which are proper 
adjectives? Tell why. 

1. An English gentleman had two sons. The elder son, who was 
eager for adventure and weary of home, obtained his father's permis- 
sion to go abroad. Ten years later, a traveler, ragged and dusty, 
stopped at an inn near the father's estate. lie asked the landlord 
about the father of the two sons. "Oh, he's dead!" said the land- 
lord ; u been dead these five years ; poor old man ! dead and forgotten 
long ago ! " 



190 VERBS. 

2. Anon from the belfry 

Softly the Angelus sounded, and over the roofs of the village 
Columns of pale blue smoke, like clouds of incense ascending, 
Rose from a hundred hearths, the homes of peace and contentment. 
Thus dwelt together in love these simple Acadian farmers. 



LESSON CCXXXVIII. 
VERBS. 

In the sentence, Mary studies, what word tells what 
Mary does ? 

Is that word the whole or only a part of the predicate ? 

In the sentence, Mary studies her lesson, what word 
tells what Mary does ? Is that word the whole or only 
a part of the predicate ? For what purpose are the rest 
of the words in the predicate used ? 

The word used in a sentence to make an assertion is called a 
verb. 

Exercise i. 

Separate the subject from the predicate in each of the 
following sentences. 

Point out the word in each sentence that makes an 

assertion. 

1. Fishes swim. 4. James ran a race. 

2. Birds fly. 5. The waves dash against the rocks. 

3. I study. 6. The dogs worry the sheep. 

7. The lights twinkle from the rocks. 

8. A statesman placed himself at the head of his countrymen. 

9. Italy bought the Bonaparte papers. 

10. The sun shines on the evil and on the good. 

11. Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain. 

12. God created the heavens and the earth. 

13. Cowards die many times before their deaths; 
The valiant never taste of death but once. 



VERB PHRASES. 191 

LESSON CCXXXIX. 

VERB PHRASES. 

In the preceding exercises, you were able to point out 
one word in each sentence that made an assertion. This 
word was called a verb. 

In many sentences, however, two or more words are 
required to make an assertion. 

The boy will go as soon as possible. 

In this sentence, the two words, will go, make the 
assertion. 

The boy has been gone a week. 

In this sentence, three words, has been gone, are required 
to make the assertion. 

These groups of words which are often required to 
make assertions are called verb phrases. 

Exercise. 

Separate each subject from its predicate by a vertical 
line or lines. 

Point out the verbs and also the verb phrases 

1. The fishermen spread their nets in the sun. 

2. I can hardly see the stars. 

3. The condor of the Andes flies very high. 

4. Can the stars be seen on cloudy nights? 

5. The storm grows more furious every minute. 

6. The girl has not given a word of explanation. 

7. Our forefathers purchased liberty with their blood. 

8. The poet lived in a quaint old house by the river. 

9. How doth the little busy bee 
Improve each shining hour. 



192 ADVERBS. 

LESSON CCXL. 
ADVERBS. 

Now the tiny birds build their nest, and securely fasten it 
to the twigs with bits of thread which they gather here 
and there for that purpose. 

In this sentence, now tells when the birds build their 
nest ; securely tells how they fasten it to the twigs ; and 
here and there tell where they gather the threads. 

Exercise I. 
Tell what the words in Italics in the following sentences 
are used for, or tell what questions they will answer : — 

1. Evil-doers are generally punished. 

2. Speak gently to the erring. 

3. All exercises should be written with very great care. 

4. He that never felt a wound jests at scars. 

5. After life's fitful fever he sleeps well. 

Exercise 2. 

First read each sentence in Exercise 1, omitting the 
word in Italics. Next, read each sentence without omit- 
ting the word in Italics. Then tell which word in the 
sentence is modified (strengthened or weakened) by the 
word in Italics. 

The words in Italics are called adverbs because they are 
often added to verbs to modify them. Very frequently, 
however, they modify adjectives or other adverbs. 

Examples : He is a very good boy. (Adverb modifying an adjective.) 
She speaks too rapidly. (Adverb modifying an adverb.) 

An adverb is a word used to modify the meaning of a verb, 
an adjective, or another adverb. 



PHRASES. 193 

LESSON CCXLI. 

PHRASES. 

The trees in the garden are tall and straight. 

The group of words in the g-arden, in the sentence 
above, is needed to modify, or describe, the meaning of 
the noun trees by telling what trees are meant. 

As the word trees is a noun, the group of words which 
modifies it must be an adjective. (See page 188.) 

To distinguish this modifier from the simple adjective, 
we call it an adjective phrase. 

A similar group of words used as an adverb would be 
called an adverb phrase ; as, He is walking in the garden* 
Here, in the garden tells where he is walking, and is, 
therefore, an adverb. 

A group of words, used as a part of speech, and having 
neither subject nor predicate, is a phrase. 

Exercise. 

Point out the phrases below, and tell whether they are 
adjective or adverb, and why : — 

1. Great clouds of smoke rose from the chimneys. 

2. The river in the valley is full of water. 

3. The sail in the harbor was very pleasant. 

4. The captain of the boat sailed through the dangerous passage 
with great skill. 

5. The steamer struck an iceberg near the coast of Newfoundland. 

6. Flocks of sea gulls fly fearlessly about the ship, or float grace- 
fully upon the water. 

7. Earth is here so kind that just tickle her with a hoe and she 
laughs with a harvest. 

8. The best thing I know between France and England is the sea. 

9. He was so good that he would pour rose water on a toad. 

13 



194 CONJUNCTIONS. 

LESSON CCXLII. 

PREPOSITIONS. 
Exercise I. 

In the sentences below point out the phrases, and tell 
whether they are adjective or adverb. 

• 1. The leaves of the book are uncut. 

2. In 1066 a.d. the battle of Hastings was fought. 

3. The picture on the wall was painted by a celebrated artist. 

4. Heaven from all creatures hides the book of fate. 

The last word in each phrase above is a noun or a pro- 
noun. The first word in all such phrases (of, in, on, to, by, 
etc.) is called a preposition (placed before). 

A "word used before a noun or a pronoun to show its rela- 
tion to another word in the sentence is called a preposition. 

The noun or pronoun used with a preposition in making 
a phrase is called its object. 

A preposition connects the noun or pronoun which fol- 
lows it with the word modified by the phrase. 

Point out the prepositions in the sentences above, and 
tell what they connect. 

LESSON CCXLIII. 

CONJUNCTIONS. 

Horatio was busy. Henry was busy 
Horatio and Henry were busy. 

Here the two predicates of the first two sentences are 
alike, and the two statements are combined by omitting 
one of the predicates and connecting the two subjects 
by and. 



SENTENCES, SIMPLE AND COMPOUND. 195 

Horatio fished. Horatio caught nothing. 
Horatio fished, but caught nothing. 

These two sentences are combined by omitting one sub- 
ject (as the subjects are alike) and using the word but to 
connect the two predicates. 

Exercise I. 
Combine the following statements, as above. Tell what 
words are connected, and how : — 

1. Mary works steadily. Mary works well. 

2. Michael Angelo was a painter. Michael Angelo was a sculptor. 

3. Lottie can sing. Lottie can play. 

A -word used to connect words, phrases, or sentences is 
called a conjunction. 

Exercise 2. 

Point out the conjunctions in the sentences below, and 
tell what they connect : — 

1. A large elm stands between the house and the river. 

2. Brazil is regarded as a land of mighty rivers and virgin forests. 

3. Life is short but art is long. 

4. Some ran for the woods, and others plunged into the river. 

LESSON CCXLIV. 

SENTENCES, SIMPLE AND COMPOUND. 

A simple statement, question, or command may be a 
complete sentence; as, William is an honest boy. Or it 
may form only part of a sentence; as, William is an honest 
boy, but he does not like books. 

A sentence that contains but one statement, question, 
or command is called a simple sentence. 

A sentence that contains two or more independent 
statements, questions, or commands, joined together by one 



196 INTERJECTIONS. 

or more conjunctions, either expressed or understood, is 
called a compound sentence. 

Exercise. 

Which of the following sentences are simple ? Analyze 
them. 

Separate the compound sentences into independent 
simple sentences, and analyze them. 

1. Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and some 
bave greatness thrust upon them. 

2. A man without hope is of no good use to the world. 

3. Seek, and ye shall find. 

4. A change came o'er the spirit of my dream. 

5. Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day 
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops. 

LESSON CCXLV. 

INTERJECTIONS. 

Words like oh, 0, ah, pshaw, humph, hurrah, alas, etc., 
expressing sudden emotion on the part of the speaker or 
writer, do not form any part of the sentence ; that is, they 
belong neither to the subject nor to the predicate. They 
are called interjections (thrown in, or thrown between). 

A -word used to express strong feeling, and not connected 
■with any other "word in the sentence, is called an interjection. 

Exercise. 
Tell what feelings are expressed by the interjections in 
each sentence below : — 

1. Pshaw ! I do not believe the story. 

2. Ah ! what have you been doing? 

3. Aha ! I have found you out ! 

4 He came, alas ! but it was too late. 

5. Hurrah, hurrah ! a single field hath turned the chance of war. 



INDEX. 



Abbreviations, 19, 20, 102, 103. 
Abou Ben Adhem (Hunt), 161. 
Accented Syllables, 52. 
Addresses, 92. 
Adjective phrase, 193. 
Adjectives, 188, 1S9, 192. 
Adverb phrase, 193. 
Adverbs, 192. 
Advertisements, 167. 
^Esop (Extract), 26, 44. 
Affixes, 142. 

Afternoon Nap, The (Reproduction Exer- 
cise), 104. 
Alcott, Louisa M. (Extract), 29. 
Almost, most, 147. 
Analysis, 177. 
Animals, 33, 44. 

Ant, The (Information Exercise), 128. 
Antecedent, 185. 
Apostrophe, 74, 75, 88, 89, 184. 
Are, is, 15, 16, 21, 80, 83. 
As, like, 146. 

Ballad of the Boston Tea Party (Holmes), 

159. 
Barbara Frietchie (Whittier), 122. 
Beaver, The (Information Exercise), 134. 
Bell of Atri, The (Longfellow), 76. 
Bird's Story, A (Reproduction Exercise), 

22. 
B.jornson Bjornstjerne (Extract), 37. 
blacksmith, The (Information Exercise), 

105. 
Boys Wanted, 76. 
Breve, 2S. 

Brown Thrush, The (Larcom), 63. 
Bryant, William C. (Extract), 171. 

Can, may, 160. 

Capitals, 6, 7, 8, 19, 42, 45, 46, 60, 103, 110, 156, 

184, 189. 
Cary, Alice (Extract), 150. 
Cary, Pho?be (Extract), 138. 
Caterpillar, The (Information Exercise). 

78. 
Chapter One, 5 ; Two, 24 ; Three, 45 ; Four, 

61 ; Five, 78 ; Six, 92 ; Seven, 109 ; Eight, 

125; Nine, 134; Ten, 152; Eleven, 174. 
Chapters, 86. 
Cherry Buds, Clapp (Information Exercise). 

35. 
Child, L. Maria (Extract), 113. 
Children's Hour, The ^ Longfellow), 128. 
Clapp, H. L. (Extracts), 35, 78. 



Classification, 40, 58. 

Cold Countries (Conversation Exercise), 

125. 
Combined Statements, 122, 123, 137, 150. 
Comma, 110, 131, 180. 
Command, 195. 

Common Names, or Nouns, 61, 183. 
Compellatives, 179, 180, 181. 
Coinplimentarv Close, 96. 
Composition Writing, 10, 23, 37, 42, 56, 60, 

62, 65, 72, 74, 79, 85, 83, 91, 116, 119, 126, 

129, 135, 140, 144, 152, 153, 158, 164, 169, 

170, 173. 
Compound Personal Pronouns, 187. 
Conclusion of Letter, 92, 96. 
Conjunctions, 194, 195. 
Consonants, 68, 69. 
Contractions, 88. 
Conversation Exercises, 38, 39, 44, 51, 56, 

116, 125, 139, 173. 
Cotton (Information Exercise), 143. 
Coverings of Animals (Conversation Exer- 

Craik, Mrs. (Extract), 41. 

Dandelion (Memory Exercise), 49. 

Dates, 20, 46. 

Days, 19, 60, 89. 

Declarative Sentences, 175, 179. 

Derivative Words, 142, 153, 164, 173. 

Description, 152. 

Dictation Exercises, 7, 15, 19, 20, 31, 45, 46, 

58, 78, 89, 156, 167. 
Direct Quotations, 109, 110, 156. 
Dissyllables, 31. 
Divided Quotations, 144. 
Doesn't, don't, 121. 

Envelopes, 99. 

Exclamation Point, 176. 

Exclamative Sentences, 176. 

Expect, suspeet, sujipose, presume, 162. 

First Snow Fall. The (Lowell), 107. 

Force of Habit, The (Mann), 106. 

Form of Letter. 92. 

Four Hull* and the Lion, T/14 (-Esop), 44. 

Frogs (Information Exercise), 157. 

Funny, odd, strange, 147. 

Games, 18. 

0oo8i mi. i f,, Golden Eggs, The (diepro 
duotion Exercise), 82. 

(f'raiuljiapa (Mrs. Craik), 41. 

197 



198 



INDEX. 



Guess (Memory Exercise), 66. 
Guess, think, 121. 

Hare and the Tortoise, The (Reproduction 

Exercise), 111. 
Hare got, have, has, 121. 
He, him, 80, 149. 
Heading of Letter, 92, 93, 94. 
Her, she, 80, 149. 
Him, he, 80, 149. 
Historical Letter, 165, 168. 
Honeybee, The (Information Exercise), 

114. 
Hunt, Leigh (Extract), 161. 
Hyphen, 30. 

/, me, 80, 149. 

Ideas, 174. 

Imperative Sentences, 175, 180, 181. 

Indirect Quotations, 110, 111. 

Information Exercises, 35, 50, 64, 73, 78, 87, 

105, 114, 115, 128, 134, 143, 157, 169, 170. 
Initials, 9. 

Insect* (Information Exercise), 73. 
Interjections, 196. 
Interrogation Mark, 7, 60, 175. 
Interrogative Sentences, 175, 179. 
Inverted Sentences, 177, 178. 
Is, Words used after, 149. 
Is, are, 15, 16, 21, 80, 83. 

Johonnot (Extract), 73. 

Keep a Watch on Your Words (Memory 
Exercise), 71. 

Larcom, Lucv (Extract), 63. 
Leak in the Dike, The (Phoebe Cary), 142. 
Leaves (Composition), 60. 
Letters, Omitted, 88. 
Silent, 52. 
Sounds of, 126. 
Letter Writing, 92, 93, 99, 101, 102, 106, 117, 

120, 130, 140, 141, 146, 155, 156, 165, 168. 
Lexington (Holmes), 165. 
Like, as, 146. 

Lion and the Fox, The (JHsop), 26. 
Little Broicn Hands (Memory Exercise), 

13D. 
Little People, The (Memorv Exercise), 82. 
Longfellow, H. W. (Extract's), 76, 123, 124. 
Lowell, J. R. (Extract), 107. 

Macron, 28. 

Mann, Horace (Extract), 106. 

May. can, 160. 

Me, I, SO. 

Memory Exercises, 10, 18, 23, 29, 34, 37, 41, 
49, 55, 63. 66, 71, 82, 98, 107, 108, 123, 127, 
133, 138, 150, 161, 170, 171. 

Merry Christmas (Alcott), 29. 

Mispronounced Words, 141, 146. 

Misused Words, 121, 146, 147, 160, 162, 165, 
166. 

Monkey, Cat and Chestnuts, The (Repro- 
duction Exercise), 14. 

Monosvllables, 31. 

Months, 20, 60, 89. 

Most, almost, 147. 



Names, 7, 8, 9, 46, 182. 

Common, 61, 183. 

Family, 8. 

Given, 8, 9. 

Proper, 45, 46, 60, 61, 183. 

Special, 61. 
Natural Order of Sentences, 177. 
Neighborhood Study. 158, 164. 
Xuiiility (Memory Exercise), 150. 
Nobody's Child (Phoebe Cary), 138. 
Notes for Composition, 153. 
Nouns, 61, 182, 183, 188. 

Common, 61, 183. 

Proper, 45, 46, 60, 61, 183. 
Number, 61, 63, 74, 75, 84, 135, 1S2, 186. 
Number, Quantity, 166. 
Numeral adjectives, 189. 

Object, 194. 

Odd, strange, funny, 147. 

Old Horse's Appeal, The (Reproduction 

Exercise), 75. 
Only, 166. 
Opposites, 58. 

Our Flag (Conversation Exercise), 38. 
Our Own Country (Conversation Exercise), 

173. 
Ownership, 184. 

Paragraphs, 86. 

Paul Revere 's Ride (Longfellow), 124, 165. 

Period, 6, 60, 175. 

Person, 186. 

Personal Pronouns, 186. 

Phr'i^es 193 

Picture 'stories, 12, 16, 20, 24, 32, 39, 43, 47, 

57, 62, 70, 81, 85, 101, 118, 154. 
Plants. 33, 56. 



Plenty, plentiful, 163. 
Plural Number, 61, 



61, 63, 75, 84,135,182,1S4,1S6. 
Poems. Studv of, 22, 34, 38, 55, 58, 59, 76, 77, 

90, 91, 98, 107, 10S, 161, 170, 171. 
Poetry, 60, 67. 
Polysyllables, 31. 
Possessives, 74, 135. 1S4. 
Predicate, 176, 177, 178, 179. 
Prefixes, 142, 153. 
Prepositions, 194. 

Presume, expect, suspect, suppose, 162, 163. 
Pronouns, 1S4, 185, 1S6, 1S7, 18S. 
Pronunciation Exercises, 40, 53, 56, 64, 84, 

105, 120, 127. 
Proper Adjectives, 189. 
Proper Names, or Nouns. 45, 46. 60, 61. 1^3. 
Punctuation, 7, 42, 60, 74, 75, 88, 89, 110, 

111, 131, 156, 175, 176, 180, 184. 

Quantity, number, 166. 

Question Mark, 7, 60, 175. 

Questions, 6, 195. 

Quotation Marks, 110, 111. 156. 

Quotations, Direct, 109, 110, 112, 145, 156. 

Divided, 144. 

Indirect, 110, 111, 112, 145. 

Real, very, 121. 

Reproduction Exercises, 14, 22, 26, 44, 54, 67, 

75, >.', 104, 106, 108, 112, 113, 122, 124, 132. 

142, 159. 



INDEX. 



199 



Reviews, 80, 84, 97, 135. 

Rhyme, 67. 

Robin and Robert (Memory Exercise), 11. 

Root Words, 142, 153, 164, 173. 

Salt (Information Exercise), 169. 

Salutation, 92, 94, 95. 

Say No (Composition), 119. 

Seeds and Plants (Conversation Exercise), 

56. 
Sentences, 5, 6, 174, 175. 

Combined, 122, 187, 150. 

Compound, 195, 196. 

Declarative, 175, 179. 

Exclamative, 176. 

Exercise on, 178. 

Imperative, 175, 180, 181. 

Interrogative, 175. 

Inverted, 177, 178, 179. 

Simple, 195, 196. 
Seventy-Six (Bryant), 165. 
Shall, will, 160. 
She, her, 80, 149. 
Signature, 96. 
Silent Letters, 52. 
Simple Subject, 177. 
Singular Number, 61, 63, 74, 84, 135, 182, 184, 

186. 
Snowstorm, The (Composition), 42. 
Some, someiohat, 165. 
Song, A (Memory Exercise), 23. 
Sounds of Consonants, 68. 

of Letters, 126. 
Spelling Exercises, 63, 147, 14S. 
Spiders (Information Exercise), 87. 
Squirrel, The (Composition), 72. 
Stanzas, 19, 67. 
Statements, 5, 6, 195. 

Combined, 122, 137, 150. 
Stop, stay, 163. 
Strange, odd, funny, 147. 
Subject, 176, 177, 178, 179. 
Suffixes, 142, 153. 
Superscription of Letter, 92. 
Surname, 8. 

Suspect, suppose, presume, expect, 162, 163. 
Syllables, 30, 31. 

Accented, 52. 
Synonyms, 116, 117, 136, 148. 

Talk about Flies, A (Information Exer- 
cise), 50. 
Thanksgiving Day (Child), 113. 



That, this, these, them, those, 65, 66. 

Their, there, 26. 

There are, there tcere, 21. 

They, them, 149. 

Think, guess. 121. 

Thoughts, 174. 

Three Bells, The (Whittier), 90. 

To, too, two, 25. 

To a Waterfowl (Bryant), 171. 

Tree, The (Bjornson), 37. 

Trisyllables, 31. 

True Story of a Fishhawk (Reproduction 

Exercise), 68. 
Two, to, too, 25. 

Verb Forms, 112, 113, 132, 145, 159, 173. 
Verb Phrases, 191. 
Verbs, 190, 192. 
Verse, 67. 

Very, real, 121. 

Village Blacksmith, The (Longfellow), 124. 
Vowels, 27, 28, 31. 
Sounds of, 48, 49. 

Waiting to Groio (Memory Exercise), 34. 
Warm Countries (Conversation Exercise), 

139. 
Was, Words used after, 149. 
Was, icere, 15, 16, 21, 80, 83. 
We, us, 149. 

What Robin Told (Memory Exercise), 18. 
Whittier, John G. (Extract), 90. 
Who, which, 162. 
Who, whom, 129. 
Will and the Way, The (Memory Exercise), 

98. 
Willie's First Visit to the Farm (Dictation 

Exercise), 78. 
Will, shall, 160. 
Wind and the Leaves, The (Study of 

Poem), 58. 
Wonderful World, The (Memory Exercise), 

127, 128. 
Wool (Information Exercise), 170. 
Words, Derivative, 142, 153, 164, 173. 
Groups of, 193. 
Mispronounced, 141. 
Misused, 121, 146, 147, 160, 162, 165, 166. 
Root, 142, 153, 164, 173. 
Uses of. 174, 181, 182. 
Words and their Opposites, 58. 
Wreck of the Hesperus, The (Longfellow), 

132. 



200 BOOK LIST. 



POEMS USED OR REFERRED TO IN THE PRECEDING 
PAGES. 

These may be found in the Complete Works of the authors, and in 
the smaller collections, many of which have been prepared especially for 
school use. 

The teacher is strongly urged to make the reading of the various authors 
as broad and comprehensive as possible. The lessons in the book are 
only suggestive of a very extended line of language study, upon the same 
general plan, in connection with the reading and memorizing of the best 
productions of standard writers. 

The poems of Bryant are published by D. Appleton & Company, 72 
Fifth Avenue, New York. 

The writings of the Cary Sisters, Holmes, Longfellow, Lowell, and 
Whittier are published by Houghton, Mifflin & Company, 4 Park Street, 
Boston, Mass. 

The Household Editions of these various authors are published at about 
$1.50 per vol., postpaid. The smaller collections referred to can be ob- 
tained of the publishers named above, postage paid, at from 15 cents to 
60 cents each. Among those of special service to teachers are : — 

Modern Classics. — Vol. 1. — Longfellow: Evangeline; The Court- 
ship of Miles Standish ; Favorite Poems. Vol. 4. — Whittier : Snow 
Bound ; The Tent on the Beach ; Favorite Poems. Vol. 5. — Lowell : 
The Vision of Sir Launfal ; Favorite Poems. Vol. 30. — Holmes : Fa- 
vorite Poems ; My Hunt after the "Captain." 

The Riverside Literature Series. — No. 1. — Longfellow's Evange- 
line. No. 4. — Whittier's Snow Bound and Among the Hills. No. 5. — 
Whittier's Mabel Martin, Maud Muller, and Other Poems. No. 6. — 
Holmes's Grandmother's Story and Other Poems. No. 11. — Longfellow's 
The Children's Hour and Other Poems. Nos. 13, 14. — Longfellow's The 
Song of Hiawatha. No. 30. — Lowell's The Vision of Sir Launfal and 
Other Pieces. No. 33. — Longfellow's Tales of a Wayside Inn, Part I. 
No. 38. — Longfellow's The Building of the Ship and Other Poems. 

Bryant Leaflets for Homes, Libraries, and Schools. 

Holmes Leaflets, containing A Ballad of The Boston Tea Party, 
Lexington, The Comet, etc. 

Longfellow Leaflets, containing Paul Revere's Ride, The Building 
of the Ship, The Children's Hour, and Other Selections. 

Whittier Leaflets, containing Barbara Frietchie, Mabel Martin, 
Maud Muller, The Three Bells, etc. 

Teachers will do well to procure from the various publishers catalogues 
and lists of sDecial issues of standard works for school use. 



